How Soon is Too Soon?

emarston1

I got engaged about a month ago and we are planning a May 2011 wedding.  How soon is too soon to start shopping for a dress?  (We already know where we are getting married so I know the "style" of the wedding.)I really want to start shopping but I also want save something to look forward to.  I'm also afraid that I will fall in love with a dress now but by the time the wedding comes around, I won't like it anymore.  I am going home this weekend to visit my parents (they live out of state) and would love to go shopping with my mom but like I said, I'm a little nervous to start.Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

stina93446

I would definitely look at pictures, but I wouldn't try on dresses until May 2010 or a little later. Styles may change. Or the older dress that you love may go on sale.

moebride102409

I agree with pp....start pulling pics from mags now, but don't go shopping/trying on til a year before the wedding. Good luck and congrats! I love the brides that get a lot of big stuff out of the way at the beginning, but the dress shouldn't be too early!

swjb2010

Hi there,I've had quite a long engagement (several years for me)  and decided to wait to dress shop until a year before my wedding date. While I don't think it was 100% necessary for me to wait (more on that below), there are definitely a few things that you should consider. For one, you need to consider your weight and how much it fluctuates. You definitely don't want to buy a dress 2 years early only to gain a bunch of weight thus making it unwearable. Of course, losing weight wouldn't be a huge problem since you can always have it re-tailored.You also might want to consider how up-to-date you want the style to be. Are you someone who likes to wear the latest trends or do you prefer a very classic look? If you prefer something a bit more trendsetting then you should be careful about buying too early. If you prefer something more classic then it most likely won't make a difference.Although I wasn't planning on a super trendy look, like you, I was worried about buying something I liked only to find a dress that I liked better down the road, which is ultimately why I decided to wait. It also gave me some time to look around at all the different styles and designers online and get a feel for what I liked. I went into dress shopping with a pretty good idea of what I wanted.Incidentally, I'm at almost exactly 1-year pre-wedding date  right now, and I just purchased my dress today. I looooove the dress and am super excited about it. I really don't expect my feelings about it will change, and to be honest I doubt they would have if I had gotten it a year ago. So whatever you decide to do, good luck! And have fun dress shopping! Let me know if you need any advice on shops, etc.

JCKG04

I am a May 2011 bride also! I have already found and purchased my dress which was supposed to arrive in Nove, now it has been pushed back to Dec! So I would definately start now, looking on-line and maybe even in stores. If you are the type of person who can make a decision and stick to it then you can even order once you've found "the one". However wait on alterations until about 2-3 mo before the wedding.

winter443

I'd say wait until May 2010