When to start dress shopping

A bit of a “it depends” answers. My dress took 6 months to order in & 1 month of alterations - with a 1 month lead time, so 8 months in total. I know many dresses made to order can take 9 months, or even 12, so looking at a year lead time unless you’re willing to pay for a rush order or order from particular designers.
Having an idea of when you want to get married will certainly help. I don’t think dress shops will turn you away, but for yourself a dress for summer vs winter is quite different and/or if you want to get married somewhere hot abroad, there’s certain materials you may want to rule out due to weight. Also marrying abroad you need to think about how easy it’d be to transport the dress on a plane, and steaming it on the other side, so there’s materials that are a pain for that kind of thing, where as UK wedding, you can at least transport the dress fairly flat in a car.

If you wait there are plenty of “off the peg” options, which may suit the need for more flexibility. You can still get brand new off the peg, so it doesn’t mean 2nd hand, although there’s lots of 2nd hand options too.
Not sure that helps, hence the “it depends” answer.

View quoted message Thats really helpful thank you, its good to understand the timings. I've seen a few dresses that I like the look of which are in stock in specific sizes, so I'm assuming that if the size is right that they can just go straight to alterations? But if it needs to be ordered in a different size then that would be more like the timing you experienced. Thats a good point about transporting it and weight, have heard that some airlines might let you hang it, but thats not something I want to rely on!

View quoted message Normally the dresses they have in are samples & you can’t usually buy those unless they are having a sample sale. My sister bought hers in a sample sale and so it’s now living in my house for another 6 months, as she planned on ordering but you can’t always predict what will be the perfect dress.
Sample Sales are definitely a good way to get off the peg, but shops typically only have 1-2 of each dress in the shop, so you’re limited on options, which means you have to be really strict at not looking at the other dresses!
Wed2Be is a shop I see recommended a lot for off-the-peg dresses, and they’re in many major towns so that may be a nice way to at least go try some on.

Oh ok so even if I like one of these sample dresses they will likely need to be ordered in, so probably best to get over there sooner and see what timings have to say, and hopefully figure out our plans soon too. Thanks for that there is a wed2b shop near me so will definitely have a look there!

I went dress shopping 8 months before my planned wedding date and was told I was cutting it very fine and needed to place an order within the next few days if the dress were to arrive on time. So I would start shopping now.

The lack of a firm date is less likely to cause problems than not knowing where or what time of year you are marrying, as you'll want a different dress for a beach wedding in Hawaii than for a December wedding in Scotland! If you can narrow down the country and season before you go shopping, it would help!

However, it would still be worth making an appointment even if you don't have those details confirmed, as you can at least narrow down styles and silhouettes that you do/don't like.

And as Lisa says, you can still buy 'off the peg' if you need to. I ended up having to mail order a dress when it became clear the original one wouldn't be ready in time, and it arrived in a few days!

View quoted message Oh wow 8 months seems so well in advance to be told cutting it fine! Yes the season will be summer, just yet to figure out the where really. With this in mind it should help at least with picking something lighter and as you say see what suits me best.


Oh no! The alterations how many changes needed sounds stressful, is that what caused the delay? Were you able to cancel the original one being ordered in then?

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My wedding was 2020, and the need for a mail order dress was due to Covid messing everything up, so hopefully you won't have that issue! I just wasn't prepared to delay our wedding a second time purely because my original dress couldn't be ready by then, so I mail ordered a replacement. I just mentioned it because it proves that you can get a dress last minute if you really need to. You just need to be more flexible about your choice the later you leave it!

View quoted message Ok thats really good to know thank you. I've just spoken to a shop and they said ordering it takes 3 to 7 months and 8 weeks for alterations, so if our wedding is around June it would have to be a sample/off the peg, or in August/September would be able to order but have to be done soon! Glad I'm checking all this now I need to revert to my other half and figure out the reality of when it'll likely be!

If you are planning to get married this year definitely start wedding dress shopping. I am getting married next year February. Going wedding dress shopping in June time hopefully that will be plenty of time I did message the wedding dress shop as well they gave me a breakdown of when to start looking.

I hope you find something that you like best of luck you got this!

View quoted message Ooh thats good you're so prepared in advance, wish I had checked timings a few months ago haha. I think I'll get booked in over the next week or two. Thank you!


For sample dressess off the peg, is the expectation that they should be discounted as its not brand new made to order?

View quoted message I am not to sure about sample dresses. Best to check with the dress shop you are going to!÷) I have been using Hitched & Bride book to keep me on track. Enjoy every moment!=)

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Planning can be overwhelming, but starting the dress hunt early is a great idea. Many boutiques can accommodate flexible timelines, and shopping now ensures you secure your preferred style. While it's helpful to have a venue and date, some brides find their dream dress first, inspiring other decisions. Consider discussing your timeline concerns with the boutiques; they may have insights and solutions tailored to your unique situation. Happy dress shopping, and best wishes for a beautiful wedding day!

I’d definitely recommend going to a few shops just to check out the style you may like, you never know you may not like it after all (doubt it though 😅) then at least you have an idea!
I ordered my dress in October and it doesn’t arrive until June, with our Wedding in September so I think go when you can just to get an idea ❤️ fingers crossed you fall in love with something! X

View quoted message Thank you so much! These tips are really helpful, I've booked in to go to a boutique tomorrow so will see how it goes! They have said it can take 4-6 months to order in unless a sample fits perfect and just needs alterations would be quicker.

View quoted message Wish I'd gone to look a few months ago now haha! How many boutiques did you go to before you found yours? Thank you, I hope so! X

View quoted message Haha ahhh don’t worry, it’s such an exciting time so just enjoy it whilst you’re there. I only went to 2 shops but obviously I’d been planning the moment in my head for years so was pretty straight forward with what I wanted 😂 hope you enjoy your appointment, you’ll love it! X

View quoted message You were so right Katie, went today and loved it! Was there 2 and a bit hours, and got it down to three but I think have found the one having looked over photos when I got home! Will try another place for a few more options and decide on that. They had the dress in 2 sizes bigger which they said can be taken in to the right size but I think I'd rather try and order it in the right size.

I am getting married in Aug and today is my first day on this App!
No clue for the dress, but what about you do it abroad….in Cairo I am doing it at the Citadel, stunning place

Most boutiques won’t turn you away without a date — lots of brides shop before finalizing plans. If you already know the styles you love and are worried about timelines, it’s completely fine to start trying dresses now. You can still order or buy off the rack later once your venue and date are confirmed. Going sooner just gives you more options and less stress.

Most bridal boutiques won’t turn you away just because you don’t have a date yet — plenty of brides start browsing early while their plans are still flexible. If you already have styles you love and you’re worried about timing or stock, it’s completely fine to go now and get a sense of what fits you and how long orders/alterations usually take. You don’t have to buy anything immediately, but starting early will give you more options and less stress once your venue and date are confirmed.