Best time of year to buy wedding dress?

Laurenbiz

Hi all,

I am working on a timeline today of all of my wedding planning. I don't know where to insert "shop for my dress" on my list. 

I have a few caveats with my dress shopping:

-- I want to shop with my mom, but we live 400 mi. away from each other; she will need to travel here to shop with me.

-- Wedding date is April 26, 2014 so I am in no hurry per se.

-- I am a bargain shopper and would prefer to find a dress at a markdown or discount.

So my question is ... do dress shops have any certain times of the year in which dresses are at good discounts? Are there certain times of the year in which they have the best selection? 

I'm just curious about the timing for buying my dress since it will involve making travel arrangements.

Thanks!

JennaMichelle88

Yeah, unless a salon is going out of business or having an unusual sale I would just go sometime this summer. I agree with PP that I don't think prices fluctuate much throughout the year.

jenaenae17

If you are looking for a discount, try going to some trunk shows. They usually offer around 15% off of the designers dresses at a trunk show. To find out when they are and who is being featured, you would have to contact some of your local bridal salons.

csweaney

Prices dont fluctuate much, but I agree with PP--if you find yourself liking a certain designer go to a trunk show. If you are truly a "bargain shopper" also consider off the rack options that may have been tried on once or twice but are in great condition. 

Definitely start shopping 8-10 months out. No later than 8 months. Dresses take a long time to come in if you end up ordering one. 

angiejoyjones

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_best-time-of-year-to-buy-wedding-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:292cf899-c57d-4ef7-90c8-ade466627bf3Post:04eafe8f-3251-4a67-b8a0-1f5781d10769">Re: Best time of year to buy wedding dress?</a>:
[QUOTE]If you are looking for a discount, try going to some trunk shows. They usually offer around 15% off of the designers dresses at a trunk show. To find out when they are and who is being featured, you would have to contact some of your local bridal salons.
Posted by jenaenae17[/QUOTE]

This. Also look for "bridal show" sales - the salon I bought my dress at gave me $150 off because it was the weekend of the big bridal show in my area, so they had everything marked down. Start looking online to narrow down what you are looking for (sillouette, material, etc.) and get an idea of which designers you like. It will make it easier to track when they are having trunk shows for that designer, and also if you go in with style numbers in mind, it makes it easier for them to know which dresses to start pulling for you to try on. You may end of with something you never even knew you wanted, but it gives a starting point. I ended up with a dress that wasn't even on my radar, but I love it!

8-10 months ahead is good; don't forget you also will need time for alterations once your gown arrives. Typically about 8-10 weeks for those, depending on the complexity of your dress and what you need to have done to it.

Laurenbiz

Hi all,

Thank you for this information! Have a good weekend.