Question about weight loss and custom made dresses?

vegasbride2015 · August 2014

So I am doing medical weight loss management...I have dropped 47 lbs since last late October, and I am concerned I won't find a dress in my size (I have the large belly issue), so I was going to have someone make my dress. My concern is, how long before your wedding should you have a dress made? We're not engaged yet, but we have already begun the pre-planning (I know it sounds weird), and I have been looking into dresses. I WAS a 30/32 before the weight loss occurred, and am down to a 26/28, doubt I would fit a bridal boutique dress.

Do you think that waiting until 6 months prior to the wedding to have the fitting done for the dress would give ample time to have a dress made?? Sorry, new to this, I had my last dress at my first wedding (first marriage) made without any fanfare by a friend, so I am not used to this.

Thanks in advance!

QueerFemme · August 2014

jcray1978 said:

So I am doing medical weight loss management...I have dropped 47 lbs since last late October, and I am concerned I won't find a dress in my size (I have the large belly issue), so I was going to have someone make my dress. My concern is, how long before your wedding should you have a dress made? We're not engaged yet, but we have already begun the pre-planning (I know it sounds weird), and I have been looking into dresses. I WAS a 30/32 before the weight loss occurred, and am down to a 26/28, doubt I would fit a bridal boutique dress.

Do you think that waiting until 6 months prior to the wedding to have the fitting done for the dress would give ample time to have a dress made?? Sorry, new to this, I had my last dress at my first wedding (first marriage) made without any fanfare by a friend, so I am not used to this.

Thanks in advance!

There are plenty of dresses that would fit you as a 26. Many designers have to be ordered 6-8 months in advance. However, most Davids Bridal dresses can be ordered 3-4 months in advance and still arrive on time. If you are having the dress custom made, you should talk to the seamstress about how much time they will need. I would think 4-6 months, but you should ask. But don't think you have to limit yourself to a custom made dress. You CAN find a dress in your current size, and if you lose even more weight, you shouldn't have any problems.

Dignity100 · August 2014

Do you know when you're wedding is going to be? You should be able to fit into some dresses - especially if you continue to lose weight.
Alfred Angelo seems to go up to around a 26W
Davids Bridal seems to go up to around a 26W
Unforgettable by Bonny Bridal goes up to around 32W
Julietta by Mari Lee goes up to around a 32W
Allure bridal goes up to a 32

Yes - it is true that most women do have to size up when buying a wedding dress, but if you continue to lose weight or even stay where you are, there should be some options. Some dresses (such as ballgowns) are more forgiving when it comes to waist lines then that of a fitted gown.

Honestly, I would wait until you have a wedding date and go from there. If you go through a seamstress to have a wedding dress designed for you, it's going to depend on their schedule and how detailed of a dress you want. You would need to contact them and talk to them about what you're looking for.

vegasbride2015 · August 2014

Hi there, my boyfriend hasn't proposed yet (he's waiting on a visit from my father who is 1,000 miles away) to ask him in person for my hand, and hopefully I will get a proposal by Nov! We have decided on a date though...regardless. Either 10/1/2015 or 10/1/2016. I know I will likely lose more weight by then, but wasn't sure how any of this worked.

Thank you both for letting me know which boutiques run in higher sizes! I am so lost! LOL!

QueerFemme · August 2014

if you are thinking of an October, 2015 wedding, I would shop no later than February, 2015. Same thing with 2016. Shopping 6-7 months should give you a lot of options.

vegasbride2015 · August 2014

Thank you! I am going to add that to my deadline app!

Dignity100 · August 2014

Not sure if this helps our not - but here's my dress experience:
My wedding date: 10/14/2014
Purchased dress: 3/8/2014
Date given that dress would arrive 'no later than': Mid-September (with promise I could get a rush fitting)
Date dress actually came in: 7/8/2014
Dress designer: Allure Bridals

I started shopping in January for a dress. I knew I was super indecisive and I'm also not comfortable with my size.

vegasbride2015 · August 2014

Dignity100 said:

Not sure if this helps our not - but here's my dress experience:
My wedding date: 10/14/2014
Purchased dress: 3/8/2014
Date given that dress would arrive 'no later than': Mid-September (with promise I could get a rush fitting)
Date dress actually came in: 7/8/2014
Dress designer: Allure Bridals

I started shopping in January for a dress. I knew I was super indecisive and I'm also not comfortable with my size. This TOTALLY helps! This is good to know that it will take time to get the dress in and all the alterations. I figure January I will hopefully be done shopping, I am pretty indecisive too. I have told my boyfriend that I need to order a dress by January, hint hint get on it! LOL! Thank you.

vegasbride2015 · August 2014

Also, congratulations and best of luck on your wedding day, Dignity100!!

hyechica81 · August 2014

i am a 22 in street clothes i found a bridal salon that had many options for me in samples that she could get on my body i even had a size 30 on me but well clipped. i got a julietta by mori lee style 3098 in a size 26 but i measured at a 28 for there size charts but my measurements and the sample i tried on a 22 were only 5 inches different so we went with the 26 and it was still huge in the bust the waist fit me like a glove the bust forget it. it was taken in 3 times because it was way to big

MesmrEwe · August 2014

This is from the perspective of having been married a while - Don't fret! Right now you've got a lot to focus on, like continuing the success you've had thus far. No matter what you WILL have a dress on your wedding day - DO NOT get freaked out you won't if you don't order it 6mo to a year in advance.

Next, David's sells dresses off the rack and because of my belly/butt combo I was still able to find six dresses to choose from for an anniversary trip in one store (if they don't have a dress you love in one store, it is possible to check the system for the next size up) last October (I'm the upper end of the size range because of the curves).. That's off the rack, that day, altered for the weekend. Sure, my choices were limited, but I found a dress that made me feel fabulous and in my budget. Otherwise, there are sites like Light in the Box that require 6-8 weeks and will alter the dress to your measurements if you spend the extra $30 and SUPER friendly to the budget. My red formal from there (they also have tons of wedding gowns and the rest they make in white also) for my anniversary trip only needed a little shapewear/long-line bra and it fit FABULOUS. DD's First Communion dress came from there as well and I LOVED it once it was properly pressed (which you need to remember to factor in if you order from online) so it wasn't a fluke in terms of quality/workmanship.

IMO - don't fret over a timeline unless you're locked in to a specific dress and timeline. The surgery created an additional dynamic such that you really won't know where you'll be until you get to the wedding. The bridal/formal gown industry is brutal when it comes to hard sales pitches. Only purchase when YOU are ready not because they hard-pressure you into something! (this is the mistake I made with my wedding gown and that's the one thing from our wedding if I could change I would knowing what I know now).

vegasbride2015 · September 2014

Thank you so much! This is appreciated! I am hoping to look into a custom made dress and having a consult around Nov/Dec.

Question about weight loss and custom made dresses?

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