When did you buy your dress?? (poll)

jemmini6 · November 2010

I just got engaged in September and my wedding is not until November 5th of next year. We have our venue, photographer and officiate (still need a DJ), but all people seem to think about is when I'm going to start dress shopping. My sister for instance, bought and had her dress in hand 3 days after getting engaged...so me being engaged for 2 months already and not even looked at anything online quite yet is a shock to some people, for some reason. I just think that with my wedding being almost a year away, that it's too soon to go shopping.

waltzingmatilda13 · November 2010

I think you should have a dress on order no later than 9 months out. You certainly don't want to rush into buying a dress you're not completely in love with and change your mind later. You can certainly start looking at dresses online and go try some things on to see what looks good, but you have a while until you need to make a decision. Don't feel pressured into shopping if you're not ready. Also, a lot of girls on here, myself included., went out dead-set on a certain style only to find out it looked bad on them, and feel in love with something they had never considered. So just keep an open mind when you do start looking.

I went shopping in June for an April wedding and just happened to fall in love with my dress on the first trip out.

jagore08 · November 2010

I started shopping for it about a year before the actual date. I didn't purchase it until about 8 months out.

naomikb · November 2010

I've been looking online since before we got engaged, but I am going dress shopping starting this weekend and our wedding is next August, so we are at the 9-month mark. Not sure if I'll find something this weekend but I definitely plan to have something purchased by Christmas.

reese511 · November 2010

i got mine 13 months out.

slubkin · November 2010

We have an 18month engagement. I started looking at dresses online after being engaged for a week or so, just to get ideas and price ranges so I could focus on styles by designers I can afford. But I didn't narrow it down to ones I wanted to try on at a store and start making appointments till under a year from our wedding. I think at this point we are 10 months out and I've chosen a dress but won't be ordering it till this weekend.

alecat9 · November 2010

We only had a 6 month engagement and I didn't feel rushed, but getting my dress was one of the first things I did.

opalsky007 · November 2010

I started shopping just about a year out. I wound up purchasing off the rack about 8 months out.

aleighk1 · November 2010

I still have another year and a half but I went dress "looking" back in August(got engaged in July) just because I couldn't contain myself. I'm waiting to buy next July or so.

TheCranberry · November 2010

I ordered mine in September for my June wedding. It will arrive in April.

The kind of dress you want (off the rack or not, couture or not, etc) and whether you'll need lots of alterations will influence how soon you should order it. Many dress stores say it takes 6-9 months for the dress to arrive. If you're looking for a dress you think will take that long, you can start looking now. Once you know the type of dress, you'll have a better idea.

sytom · November 2010

We are having a short engagement. I bought my dress in August and the wedding is this November. I found my dream dress, but a store refused to help me because they said there was not enough time to get a dress. They were really rude. I went somewhere else and they were really accomodating. But, I wouldn't recommend you to wait. I was pretty lucky!

CSTK1910 · November 2010

I went shopping a few times pretty quickly after I was engaged because I was really excited for it! I wasn't planning on buying it then, just wanted to get an idea of what I liked and have some fun. I started going again about 11 months out (18 month engagement) and fell in love with/purchased my dress shortly after that. It just came in, so I get to pick it up over Thanksgiving!!

Tanq&Tonic · November 2010

I guess I am late. I purchased 5 months out.

DanielleZZ · November 2010

in my expereince most stores will recommend getting it by the 9 month mark. I got mine 17 months out. 2 weeks after we got engaged i went looking to get ideas and found the one!

ogrady88 · November 2010

I actually bought my dress before we were engaged (gasp). We don't live near my parents and FI was going to ask my dad for permission while we were home for Christmas, but he hadn't officially popped the question. My mom really wanted to go dress shopping with me and she knew that the next time I'd be back home would be until August. So we went, I found the dress of my dreams, it was a great deal and we bought it. A couple months later, FI asked me to marry him.

mek20 · November 2010

I actually just bought mine this past weekend, and our wedding isnt until june '12. My mom and I went in the store to get ideas, and I tried on a dress that was going to be discontinued, and it was on mega clearance. I thought about it for a couple days, and went back and got it. I will not be getting alterations until about 4 months before my actually wedding...it is the dress I had been dreaming about and could not let it get away.

It just depends on YOU, and your situation..there really is no "good" time to buy

Good luck, and congrats!!!

denisentim0311 · November 2010

I got engaged in July, had my dress by the end of July beginning of August. We're getting married in March 2011 so I got my dress 7.5 mos out.
Goodluck and I hope you find what you're looking for. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.
Denise

tasharocks · November 2010

got engaged this past june. soon after i bought magazines and searched online to have an idea of what's out there. i started shopping in october and will purchase the dress this weekend, 10 months before the wedding next september.

simbidi · November 2010

My wedding is September 18, 2011. I starting shopping in early October and ordered my gown 3 weeks later on 10/28. It is due sometime in February!

alehayes · November 2010

I got engaged this past May and we're getting married this coming May. I started looking at dresses around the end of June/early July. Unfortunately, due to unforseen circumstances, I have not been able to actually purchase my gown yet, but I'm hoping to do so before Christmas, so it'll be about four and a half months out.

Summer2011Bride · November 2010

My wedding is July 23 of 2011 and I Just got engaged 10 days ago! I am going shopping for dresses over Thanksgiving with my mom and MOH. As others have said, you want time to get the dress ordered and for alterations, plus you don't want to feel rushed into buying one you don't LOVE. It may take awhile and many stores or you may find THE ONE at the first shop. But I would start looking no later than the first of the year so you have ample time.

amygym · November 2010

I got engaged in April 2010, and will be getting married May 2011.

I decided to go dress shopping when I moved home from college around May 2010, my maid of honor and I went shopping probably starting in July 2010. First we went to David's Bridal, where I was less than thrilled, then - for any of you Dallas brides, I went to Bridal Collections by Stella, in Plano. Stella is amazing! I wound up getting my dress there, the second place we went!

Anyways! We ordered it in August and Stella just mailed me to let me know it will be shipping in January, from wherever Mikaella bridal manufactures their dresses. So it should be here by February and woohoo that leaves plenty of time for something to go wrong/alterations!

If I were you, I'd just start looking as soon as you want! I know some manufacturers make the dress specifically for you and it can take several months, like mine is. On the other hand some stores have a ton (David's Bridal had bajillions of dresses and I probably could have walked out with one of them that day had I wanted to) and there is a much shorter turnaround. Start looking, see what you like, and then talk to the store people, they'll be the most knowledgable on how long your dress will take.

fadingdawn20 · November 2010

I started looking as soon as I got engaged (July), but we're only having a 9 month engagement. I bought it online in August and it's supposed to come in during early January.

Amisslis · November 2010

I bought mine 6 months out but, then, my gown is vintage.

meganyani · November 2010

We got engaged in October 2009 but didn't set a date til January. I bought my dress in February and it took ~5 months to come in. I thought it was perfect timing but I still could've waited longer.

Moneypenny424 · November 2010

I bought mine 6 months in advance (we were engaged for 9 months). I wouldn't cut it closer than that, and probably should have done it a bit earlier (I was waiting for my mom to come to town).

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · November 2010

Almost exactly a year before. I wanted to go because my mom was in town, and I just wanted to look and let her have the experience of shopping with me. I ended up buying the first dress I tried on.