Attire & Accessories Forum

Buying a dress too early?

My fiancé and I have been long distance for 4 years due to me being in a medical residency across the country from him. We have been talking about getting married for years but knew we we would wait until my residency is over. I've been looking at wedding dresses for fun for a while now and there is one that I just love that I've been staring at for a full year. We recently officially got engaged and set our date for June 2018 when my residency will end. I feel like it's crazy to go dress shopping so far in advance, but I'm so nervous that the dress I love won't be available if I wait. Any advice?

Re: Buying a dress too early?

  • I personally wouldn't buy a dress now.  Typical time frame is to wait until about a year out, which would mean you want to buy something in June 2017 (in about 8 months - aka plenty of time to lose weight, gain weight, change the time/tone/theme of your wedding).  If you really feel this is your dress (you'll need to try it on first) then buying it now isn't terrible but I would strongly recommend that after you make the purchase you stop looking at other wedding dresses.  That's an almost guaranteed way to regret your purchase.

    Another thing to consider is that in 8 months, it's possible that the dress you love might be cheaper; as years and seasons change, the style you are considering might be retired or marked down.  Depending on where you are, you might be able to find a salon that would work with you and let you know if the dress you like is being discontinued, at point you could make a decision.
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    Anniversary


  • I would agree with the PP that this is too early to purchase a dress.  I would say a year out is the EARLIEST anyone should get their wedding gown.  Weights, themes and budgets can and do change this far out!!!

    Whenever you do go dress shopping try on everything, you may hate that dress you are eyeing once you put it on...or you could end up finding something you like even more.  But once you do find your dress (about a year out), stop looking.  I know it is hard to put this dress out of your mind since you have already spent a long time looking at it, but try to control that urge to buy now and focus on a few things that you can plan this far in advance.  (Budget and a rough guest list).

  • You haven't even tried it on? This is just a fantasy. You have no way of knowing you love it. Do you really have a date? Like, venue booked, deposit paid? If not you need to stop. 
  • Yes I have the venue booked. I know I can't buy a dress before I try it on. I just don't know if it's too crazy to make an appt to try it on now or if I need to wait. If I tried it on and hated it, it would certainly solve my problem.
  • Honestly, just go try it on. Are you frequently going up and down in weight? I was the same weight for the last 7 years, so no, not everyone fluctuates in their weight.  If you don't vary drastically in weight, and you love it, and have the ability to possibly get a different dress later on if in a year and a half you change your mind, then go for it.  You won't get it out of your mind if you don't at least try it on. 
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  • I don't think there is any harm in trying it on. If you keep thinking about a particular dress and you worry you'll regret not trying it on go for it. You can always ask the store how long they carry particular styles so you'll know when you'd have to decide by. 
  • No harm in trying it on- then you'll know.

    I agree that if you do love it and buy it, don't look at another dress! The biggest concern is that new dresses come out every year, so you don't want to buy something now and find something later you like better. Yes, you can try and re-sell it, but IMO, not always the easiest to sell a wedding dress (height, size, alterations). But, as long as you love it, it IS just a dress, so I don't think you should worry about something being better.

    I did have a friend in school who was in engaged for 2 years before she got married. She fell in love with a Maggie Sottero dress, found it used in her size, so she bought it right away (this was well over a year in advance of her wedding) and continued to love it.
  • You should try it on, and if you love it, don't look at any more. :) Sometimes we just know what dress we want. 
  • You know yourself best: are you more the kind to pine after this dress if it becomes unavailable by the time you start shopping or the kind to buy it now and then find something else to pine after later?

    Personally, I am more in the first category so I say you might as well at least try it on as long as you aren't someone whose weight tends to fluctuate.  (Mine does, so I would be an idiot to buy a dress 2 years out.)
  • Thanks for the opinions, everyone! I'll let y'all know if I end up getting it ;)
  • Yes I have the venue booked. I know I can't buy a dress before I try it on. I just don't know if it's too crazy to make an appt to try it on now or if I need to wait. If I tried it on and hated it, it would certainly solve my problem.
    I disagree.  A lot of women buy dresses off websites without trying them on because they can get them at a deeply discounted price.  Is it a risk?  Heck yes!  But, people do it.  If I were you, I would go somewhere, try it on and if it's the dress, stalk preownedweddingdresses.com and try to get a good deal.  Since it has been out for a year, you may find a bride who bought, it loved, it and is ready to sell it.  

  • Just a word of caution. Dress regret is real. I bought mine about a year out from my wedding, loved it, stopped looking at other dresses, and still had moments where I wished I had waited and done a little more looking around. Part of that was I love shopping and had a great time trying on dresses. You have lots of time, go try it on, see if you love it as much in real life. My only suggestion would be to wait as long as you can to buy it. It may go on sale or you may find your taste changes as you plan other parts of your wedding.
  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited November 2016
  • I have a friend who bought her wedding dress before she was engaged. She wasn't looking for it, stumbled across one at a consignment store & knew she was going to marry the guy she was dating then (it's been almost a decade). It was the absolute perfect thing for her &  there's no way she would have found a better one if she tried.

    It also maybe isn't a bad idea to try it on, just to see if you even LIKE that style. I was dead set on the style of dress I wanted...tried one on & absolutely hated it. I agree with PPs to ask the shop how long they may have it in stock, so you can wait a little bit on your decision. Also, they may know if they would have the same style with maybe a little "updating" for a future season, closer to your wedding?
  • Ro041Ro041 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited November 2016
    CMGragain said:
    Vendor?  @KnotRiley
    Who is the vendor?  

    ETA: If this post is directed at my comment about where to find a good used wedding dress, that's a bit extreme.  I have been around here for 4 years, made hundreds of comments, and am active off and on (if you look at my numbers, I am not lying).  I have never mentioned that website before just now and it's because I think it's kind of a cool site.  @KnotRiley

  • @Ro041: there was an obvious vendor post that has since been deleted.
  • Ro041Ro041 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited November 2016
    @Ro041: there was an obvious vendor post that has since been deleted.
    Thank you @SaintPaulGal !  I apologize @CMGragain.  Mondays can be rough for me.

    Edited: Weird link

  • Ro041 said:
    @Ro041: there was an obvious vendor post that has since been deleted.
    Thank you @SaintPaulGal !  I apologize @CMGragain.  Mondays can be rough for me.

    Edited: Weird link
    Me, too.  No problem.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
  • So my wedding is november 2018.  i purchased my dress november 2016. (We booked our venue august 2016). My only regret so far is that we dont have enough in the bank to have our wedding sooner. haha 

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