When did you start looking for a dress? When did you find it?

charbakes

How soon after you got the ring on your finger did you start looking for a dress? If you've found your dress, how long did you find it after you started your search?

raes19

I started dress shopping about a month after we actively started our wedding planning. I picked my dress on my fourth shopping trip, about 2 months after the first.

kd.joseph

We were engaged almost a year before I started looking. We were engaged in Nov. 08, and married in May 10. I bought my dress in Oct 09. I knew what  I wanted, called  store to find it, tried on a few others to be sure, but ended up with the original one.

MoonlightSilver

We had a long engagement, so I was engaged for two years before I started planning. I went dress shopping 6 months before my wedding day, and found a dress at the second shop I visited that day. I took a few days to think over my decision then purchased the dress (I bought the store sample). 

ElisabethJoanne

We'll have a 15-month engagement. I went shopping after the 14-month mark but before the 12-month mark. Theoretically kept looking for maybe another 2 months insofar as I tried to arrange shopping dates with Mom and called bridal salons and described what I wanted.

No one had it. theknot advised looking used. Did that until the 7-month mark or so, then ordered it custom.

Custom dress is supposed to arrive in August.

CurlsNpearls12

I had a long engagement, but I started shopping about a week after I finally set our wedidng date, which was over a year before the wedding.

Karmasmom

When I got engaged, we decided on a wedding date 10 months later.  Started looking for dresses with 9 months to go and decided on a dress at 7 months to go.  

achiduck

We got engaged June 21 of last year and I wasn't planning to go dress shopping until October/November but ended up going and finding my dress in the middle of September when a local bridal store was having a sample sale. Got my dress 50% off. 

Elle1036

We had been engaged for about 6 months before I started looking.  In total, I went to three bridal shops over the course of 2 months and got my dress at the last place.  It was about 8 months out from our wedding date when I ordered the dress.

JoeAnne2013

I wasnt dress shopping at all (including looking online), I just happened to find my gown while searching for other wedding related things. I seen it in an ad and clicked on it, eventually I broke down finally went to try it on (I wanted to wait until this October to start looking), it was my first shopping trip, I tried on four other gowns in all different sytles, and the fifth and last gown (the one that I fell in love with online) was the one I bought. I think I was engaged just over a month and I'm glad I went when I did because its going to take nine months to come in!

Summer2011Bride

I got engaged in oct 2010 and married in July 2011. So I needed to move fairly quickly on the dress search so it had time to come in and be altered. I went out for the first time around Thanksgiving or one month after getting engaged and only went out one day. It was actually the very first dress I tried on (though I tried on about 15 total between two stores). At the end of the day, I went back to the first shop and bought the dress after trying it on again. I just kept comparing all other dresses to it and it was exactly what I had in mind, so why not?

AllieS421

We got engaged in December and are getting married next June. I want dress shopping with my mom this past weekend for the first time and ended up buying the very first dress I tried on after trying on 10 more to prove that the first one was the one : . We bought it at David's Bridal and although a lot of people have had bad experiences with them, I loved the store and our consultant. I started early in case it took a while to find it and since it has been the most fun part of planning the wedding!

rooney2012

I was at 4 boutiques with Mom, sister, or bridesmaid and just felt confused. They were not overbearing at all, but somehow it complicated the appt bc I was trying to please them too, instead of just me. I went by myself and found the dress much more quickly and with more confidence that it was the right one. I had my mom come to a 2nd appt to see it and she said, "That dress is SO you!" and was very happy for me.

I bought it one year, to date, before the wedding!

Spunky414

I went shopping about 2 months after getting engaged and bought my dress at the 3rd store on the 2nd day of shopping, about 11 months before the wedding.

divinemsbee

I was procrastinator bride on this front. 

I didn't start looking, even looking online at styles, until just around 7 months before our date. I went to 3 bridal shops with my friend in the town where I live (in TX) about 6.5 months before and found a couple I really liked. My grandmother, who lives in my hometown in MS where the wedding will be, had offered to buy my dress, so I went to my hometown on a week my mom was also in MS and we went to about 5 shops (two were repeats from TX; AA and DB) and I tried on some with my MOH and mom and grandmother. 

I ended up making a decision there because it's easier to already have the dress where the wedding is. And also, it was at the 6 month mark and I'm not sample sized so buying off-the-rack wasn't an option. I'll be in town about a month before and have time for at least one fitting. I ordered the dress May 8, my wedding is November 3. So, just under 6 months. I have been assured it will get there. 

ingramnusz

I started looking a few weeks after we got engaged--although if you count online shopping, I started looking the day after we got engaged.  :-)  I went to David's Bridal  in December and had such a horrible experience that it took me a couple of months to even try again.  I found my dress in mid-February, but didn't end up buying it until the end of March (about 6 months out from the wedding).    

melisrodis

Hmm. We got engaged Jan 1, 12 and are getting married in Jan 13.  I started shopping in May.  I went to 8 different shops over the course of two months.  I ordered my dress a few weeks ago, in the middle of June.  It's scheduled arrival date is the last week of October.  Which leaves me two-three months for fittings/alterations.  I know I cut it a little close, but hopefully it'll work out!

[Deleted User]

We got engaged in November, and I wanted to wait to go dress shopping until things had calmed down and we'd gotten an idea of what we wanted the wedding to be, so I had a clear picture of the dress I wanted.  I researched and looked and was anxious and then decided to go in March around the time of my birthday.  My dress should be in anytime between now and October!   Honestly, I'm super glad I waited a little while, I changed my mind about dresses a bit and feel very confident in my decision.

jls522

We were engaged in March 12 and are getting married in April 13. My MOH lives in another state so she came into town one weekend in May and we did 2 days of wedding dress shopping. The dress I bought was the first dress I tried on in the very first store. I didn't buy it right then, but went back after trying on many others and realizing that it was the dress I was using to compare the rest!

whitney37354

We were engaged December 18 & I got my dress the first part of January.  There was a bridal salon going out of business & everything was 1/2 off.  My mother took me there after she got off work, which left us with about an hour to shop.  She picked out three dresses & I chose the first one because the other two were too heavy.  Pretty straightforward!  I had looked through bridal magazines for years, but once I got there all the white just looked the same to me.  If I had been given more options, the choice would have been too hard for me.

jemmini6

I waited about 2 months after getting engaged before I started dress shopping.  I found my dress at the second store I went to.

random4180

I got engaged August 8 last year and we have a one-year engagement. We went dress shopping Dec 6- one appt was the only one I needed! I found my dress and took it home that day.