How long it take you to find your dress?

When are you actually looking to put a deposit down on your dress? My wedding is a month september 2011 and im wanting to put a deposit down pretty soon as my mum is paying for it so i want to give her a while to pay for it. But according to all the planning timeline things i keep looking at they all say its too soon. What do u think?

As soon as I find "the one" I'm ready to put deposit down...

I was lucky I got my dress form the first shop I went in and it was about the 5th dress I tried on. I loved it so much I didn't want to confuse things by looking at anymore! it took me about 2 hours.

xx

I went to a charity shop tried on a few dresses to work out what i liked, went to a wedding dress outlet shop and it was the 2nd dress i tried and fell instantly in love and that was that it came home with me everyone is different you will find your THE ONE! and when you do you WILL know, I am a great believer in fate!

Hi, I would say definitely don't panic and also try on more, more, more! I really quite missed dress shopping after I'd found 'the one!' I tried on about 50 altogether, but had a space of 2 months inbetween the first two shops, then 3 months after that until I randomly found mine when popping into a shop on my lunch break! There was no method to this - was just busy, moved house etc. I didn't shop that much but probably tried on more than some others...tbh though I'd try on even more if I could do it again! I don't think you can try on too many and it's such fun isn't it!

I'm August this year and found mine in December - not saying you're too early though - when you know, you know and all that, but you definitely still have plenty of time to shop around. You might come back to your current fave, but until it blows every other dress you try out of the water I'd keep going! You're in no rush and that dress isn't going anywhere for the moment. Enjoy ?

well I got mine in the 1st shop, the 5th dress!! lol. but keep looking my dear and you will find it!!!

First wedding fayre, first dress, 18 months before the wedding!!!

I picked my dress a year before the wedding. I went out with differnt people so i had different opinions! I found a few that i loved but didnt get that feeling with any of them. My mil picked a dress out and asked me to try it on, i wasnt too keen on it. It was white and not very me but when i put it on it fit like a glove, it was perfect on me and my mil cried. That kind of sold it for me (its a maggie dress - brianna). I tried on about 20 dresses and im glad i did, i had great fun.

Keep looking hun, dont be worried about how many you look at. Its better you keep looking till you find the one for you rather than just settle on one! xx

First shop, first dress!!! i really knew what I wanted. found a pic in a mag and went shopping found one very similar and i knew it was the one!! Mum started crying and that was that! I did try on lots more though but was adamant that dress was mine! I spoke to the lady about the dress which was very similar, said she had it and i tried it on and still preferred my first even though they were sooooooo similar, was a different designer and my first dress fitted me so much better.

Ordered it that afternoon after going to a few more places!!

Don't stress, try more on! when u find the dress, u know!!

good luck!

P xx

I think this is a question which has different answers for each bride. It depends on your expectation, if you know what do you want or not and so on. But I think you should trust that when you will see the right dress, you will just know that is the one! Good luck!

Well, I guess you have to talk to someone from those shops that you have visited so that you can weight and compare each dress from each other. In that way, you can figure out what dress best suits you.

My first shopping trip I went to 2 shops and at the end of the day I had a "shortlist" of about 8-10 dresses across the 2 shops.

My second trip I went back to the same 2 shops, and had another 2 lined up (4 in total that day).

At the first shop I discounted all previous shortlisted dresses and tried on maybe another 5-10 and it was one of those that was THE dress. I went to the second shop, tried on some similar dresses but although they were really nice, they didn't stand up to "my" dress. That was it. I cancelled the next 2 appointments.

People take different lengths to find what they want. Don't worry. And don't think you have to have the lightening bolt moment to know it's "the one". For me, I knew it was the one when she said to me "do you want to take that dress off" and without hestiation i said "NO!" I just loved the way it made me feel ?

We had a 9 month engagement. I found my dress in December, wedding was May.

The first dress in the second shop. The first shop I tried on 5 dresses and the second shop I tried 9 dresses. But I was able to narrow it down very quickly. I surprised myself and was very decisive! I liked certain parts of some dresses and other parts of others and found a dress with all the bits I liked on and it worked! I felt so special and amazing in the dress. I think most of it is about how you feel in it. The lady in the shop said she liked me in another dress and dont get me wrong it was a lovely dress and it suited me, but I didnt get the feeling I did in my dress.

When you find the one, you'll know.

xxxx

I found my dress in the second shop and it was about the 12th dress I'd tried in total and the 3rd in that shop. After I'd tried it, nothing else compared really and, like GeordieBarbie, I didn't want to take it off.

I ordered it on 17th April and our wedding is on 12 March. It won't be in until about December though.

I never found 'the one' however I had a short list of 5 dresses that I loved and would be happy getting married in. The deciding factor on the dress I bought was that it was my Mum's favourite and my best friend (CBM) cried when I came out the changing room!! I'm getting married in October and ordered my dress in March

I'd been looking on the internet for dresses since we got engaged (May 2008) and started dress shopping with my Mum in November 2009. I probably went to about 7 or 8 shops and have no idea how many dresses I tried on, it feels like 100's!! One of the dresses which made it to my short list was one of the first ones I saw on the internet.

Buying your wedding dress is a very personal experience and you can only do what's right for you. The only advice I'd give is take people with you who will give you and honest opinion. I ended up going with my BM's as I was never going to get a decision out of my Mum as she thought I looked beautiful in everything. And try on as many dresses as you want (and can) as you're only going to get to do it once!! x

3rd shop i went in i found 'THE dress' it is everything i have ever dreamed of!found it last week,with 9months to go until the wedding!my appointments were spaced over few months as i only wanted to shop with my mum and she lives 100miles away from me!x

About 30 minutes I think. Saw one that I liked and would suit me and tried it on and thought 'that will do' ?

Mine was the second dress in the first shop - however I went to three shops afterwards as I wasn't convinced at first. I actually loved the first three dresses I tried in the first shop and nothing compared afterwards, so I went back to the first shop to try them all on again - I couldn't get them out of my head. This was a few weeks later and by that time I'd ruled out the first dress in my head. So I tried the other two on and knew straight away which one I wanted out of the two. So all in all, it took four weeks and four shops for me actually to make a decision.

Mum said she knew straight away that the second dress was the "one", but I am useless at making snap decisions!

There's an awful lot of pressure to find "the one" and not all women get that emotional rush the moment they try a dress on. I certainly didn't. So don't panic just yet. What I would say though is that if you keep thinking about that Maggie, go back in a few weeks and try it again. You'll either completely fall in love with it and buy it there and then, or rule it out completely.

Hi Ladies,

Thanks for all your replies. There seems to be a lot of variation in timings/numbers...which is great news!

Mezzy, Thank You for your comment about everyone not getting "that" feeling...I'm worried I won't...but I will know. I don't know yet so I guess that means I haven't found the one. I'll keep looking and enjoy it while it lasts!!

Got an appointment at 2pm. V excited! And 3 tomorrow....taking MIL for the first time!!! My Mum and MoH are coming too, hoping they will keep her in check....she is rather loud/opinionated (see other posts!) any tips on keeping her under control but not offending/excluding her? I've only invited her cos she keeps going on....I don't actually want her there! :-O !!!

I picked my dress and paid the deposit on my second visit to the Bridal Boutique. I knew all along that I wanted a Ronald Joyce dress and took along a few designs that I loved.