When To Buy Bridesmaid Dresses

I don't think there is necessarily a set time to do them, but for example I have just bought my MOH's dress for our wedding in August this year.

My only concern as a bridesmaid and getting a dress more than a year in advance is making sure it still fit and wasn't too small/too big by the time of the wedding.

I'm looking to buy mine fairly soon for our April 2017 wedding... My bridesmaids live all over the country so means I have a little more time to play with if needed!

I don't know from experience as didn't have bridesmaids but going on the number of panic posts about bridesmaids dresses not fitting I wouldn't buy too early. Plus I would buy the size they are currently in and not the size they hope to slim down to! You can always have them taken in a bit. Just keeping my weight stable for only 6 months after buying my wedding dress was a nightmare for me lol.

I think if you want to buy from the high street then I would buy reasonably soon only because you have the spring/summer colours out now and if you leave it until later in the year, you won't be able to get summer dresses until next spring and that could be cutting it fine to find exactly what you want.

If you're buying online or from a bridal store then I think you are ok for another 6 months or so.

I also agree with the advice that if you buy now, buy what fits your bridesmaids now as you can always get them altered nearer the time

I bought mine from the high street at the end of feb for my wedding in july. They had a sale on so got £40 off

A number of things could affect when you can buy them.

Depending on your colour scheme, the seasons can affect what's available - I noticed that there are more dark purples and blues in the winter than in the summer. Lots of pastel colours in the summer and perhaps even more likely to get shorter dresses in the summer.

Also depends on the shape and situations of your BM's.

My BM only just had her baby beginning of December (I'm getting married August 16) - so looking before then was pointless as she had a baby. I then thought it would be best leaving it a few months for her to get back to her normal self.

We bought her dress end of April.

I bought mine last week and my wedding is July 2017!

I was going to wait but we popped into Debenhams together after going dress shopping for me. We saw an amazing dress but it was in navy. They tried them on, I got their sizes then I ordered them in blush from the website. They arrived at the weekend and they are amazing and just what I wanted.

I bought the dresses in the sizes they are now. The dresses have a stretchy waist but they can always be made smaller. X

FutureMrsSmith2017 we are getting married the same day!

I'm having navy I think - our colours are navy, coral and yellow - and neither of them are likely to change their body shape as they're both pretty perfect just now!

I think what makes me nervous is I saw 2 dresses I really liked in Debenhams and I'm worried if I don't get them now I might regret it later.

Thanks for the advice ladies - I think I'm going to sit on my hands for a bit. Navy isn't a "fad colour" so there's bound to be loads of navy dresses before the wedding. Hopefully we get something in the January sales haha!

I bought mine a few weeks ago for a June 2017 wedding, mainly because they're high street ones that I've fallen in love with, & I haven't seen anything else I liked half as much, so I was worried I'd miss out on them & always regret it. Also, I thought that if I left it a few months everything on the high street might not be the nice pastel colours I've gone for, as the seasons change.

Also, paying for them now has helped to spread the costs, I'm trying to do things each month which'll cost a few hundred pounds & then it'll feel like less of a huge amount of money to find nearer the time!

None of the bridesmaids have tried them on yet so I will have to do that soon!

Just to reiterate what's been said, it depends on the colour and time of year. But I don't think you should struggle too much with navy. I ordered my BM's dresses in November and they came in to the shop in February.

Ahhh it's proving to be a popular day! I was worried that I would miss out too and so I just ordered them. I'm glad that I did now as they are no longer on their website.

Another thing to add, my friend got married in May and she bought her dresses the previous September. She said that most sales start then and she got them for about a third of the price from BHS. They were navy. I think that with navy, you should be fine during the winter and spring months for shopping x

Yes from my experience I wish I had waited as I'm one of those unlucky ones who had had stress with dresses being way too small, although when I brought the dresses one of my girls had just had a baby and she thought she would lose the weight and because I got them last year they have been discontinued. So if you do get them defiantly buy the size they are now xx

I've risked it and bought mine already, for a wedding just over a year away... As we were in Vietnam and it was way to get nice dresses made to measure really cheaply. However they all have corset backs so hopefully can be adjusted if they aren't perfect or my BMs gain or lose weight! They're maxi dresses which are less fitted anyway.

However, if it wasn't for the fact I had te ideal opportunity to get them custom made, I would have probably waited until the after summer sales later this year. I've heard a lot of stories about dresses not fitting! Especially if you want something quite fitted.

Hi I have already bought my bridesmaid and flower girl dresses and I don't get married till sep 2017 I bought the size bigger so if they do need alternating it's easier to take in then let out. If you like a dress I say get it as you never know you might not find any you like again.