A Comprehensive Wedding Dress Shopping Timeline

Here's when to buy your special gown, according to experts.

bride standing in an open field wearing a floral wedding dress

Photo by For the Love of It

While your wedding date may seem like it's ages away, one essential detail to start thinking about is when to buy your wedding dress. That's because, aside from the fact that it may take you some time to find the one, you'll need to perfectly time your three (yes, three) fittings, allowing for custom alterations and any last-minute design add-ons. Additionally, most made-to-order wedding gowns take about six to nine months to create, so it's important that you head to a bridal salon sooner rather than later to get the process started.

That being said, thanks to the modern, evolving wedding industry and quicker engagements, there are ways to find your dream gown on a very tight timeline. According to Vatana Watters and Sydney Dunbar, the mother-daughter duo behind Watters, wedding dress designers and retailers are now able to speed up their process to accommodate more brides at the last minute. "The piece of the pie that's grown is the option of when to buy your dress—there are so many options to get your dress much faster," Watters shares. Nonetheless, brides should still try and shop as early as possible to avoid any last-minute hiccups and fees—plus, it's best not to procrastinate when searching for a look as special as your wedding dress.

Meet the Expert

Vatana Watters and Sydney Dunbar are the mother-daughter duo behind the bridal line Watters.

Ahead, with the help of Watters and Dunbar, here's the ultimate wedding dress shopping timeline for those planning ahead—in addition to shopping methods for brides with a more spontaneous wedding date. Read on for more.

Your Wedding Dress Shopping Timeline
Photo by Jiaqi Zhou/Brides

Tips to Know Before Shopping for a Wedding Dress

Before you begin to search for your wedding dress, there are a few key shopping tips you should know, all of which we highlight below.

Do Your Research

It's safe to assume you've had a rotation of dream wedding dresses saved to your Pinterest board long before your partner popped the question. If you don't already have a vision of your ideal gown, though, now's the time to do your homework. Start by ripping pages out of bridal magazines, scoping out top trends, pinpointing your favorite designers, or gaining inspiration from real brides. Then, make note of commonalities within your favorite finds. Do open backs continue to catch your eye? Embellishments? Lace? Fitted silhouettes? Whatever the theme, hold onto it and bring visuals for your first bridal salon appointment. However, be sure to maintain an open mind—you may fall in love with something that was never even on your radar.

Do your research on your desired bridal salon, too—look into each salon's designer selection, price point, and the sample sizes they carry to make sure it's the right fit for your gown allowance and vision. And, as far as bridal sizing goes, don't let the number on the tag get to your head. Since most bridal designers use a scale that runs on the small side (a size 10 wedding dress translates to a true size 6/8), you'll end up purchasing a garment that's about two sizes larger than your usual. With this in mind, feel comfortable shopping for picks in your actual bridal size.

Start Shopping After You've Selected Your Venue

Dunbar advises going gown shopping only after you've pegged your wedding venue, which makes sense considering you want to wear something that stays true to the locale's vibe (a beach ceremony and elaborate ball gown may not bode well). Once you've selected your venue, however, "it’s important to really start thinking about your dress and nailing it down six to nine months before the wedding," Dunbar adds. "This allows for a good amount of relaxation for the shopping experience." You should also have your wedding dress budget finalized by this point (including alteration fees), as well as a list of the lucky ladies (or gents) you'd like to accompany you during your shopping trip.

Try to cap your wedding dress shopping crew to three close, supportive friends or relatives whose opinions you value most.

The Ultimate Wedding Dress Shopping Timeline

Now that you know what to do before finding "the one," here are the key milestones to keep in mind when actually shopping for your wedding dress.

9 Months Before the Wedding

As previously mentioned, the nine-month mark is your deadline for selecting your dream wedding dress. At this time, you should also pinpoint any desired customizations and pay a dress deposit of 50 to 60 percent.

Why, exactly, do you need to solidify these details so early? The answer is simple: Your perfect dress will be produced according to your measurements, and some components may be sourced from across the globe. "We have laces from France, we have fabrics from Spain, we have beading from India or Asia or Japan," Watters explains. She even adds that some gowns "take two weeks for three people to embroider and bead, and that’s just one step in the process of making a dress."

5 Months Before the Wedding

While you wait for your lovely gown to come to fruition, now is the time to start researching tailors if your bridal salon doesn't offer this service. Some seamstresses may charge per service (i.e. hemming, taking in the bust, etc.), while others may request a flat fee for the overall alterations, so budget accordingly.

Additionally, you should start thinking about your accessories, if you haven't already. It's a good rule of thumb to have your veil, jewelry, and other adornments picked out before your first fitting to get an early glimpse of your full bridal look. Wedding shoes are a must, as well, to determine your gown's hem length. With that in mind, when searching for footwear, find a shoe that complements your dress while staying on par with the wedding vibe. "If you’re getting married outside in the mud or grass, you want to pick the appropriate type of shoe, so again venue plays an important part," Watters adds.

3 Months Before the Wedding

At the three-month mark, your dress should be finished and at the salon. Just in case it's not, you do have a bit of wiggle room before the first fitting, so don't fret. Dunbar also provides a bit of advice when it comes to the overall delivery date of your gown: "If you’re having a destination wedding or doing bridal portraits, that effectively becomes your wedding date because you need your dress for that time," she shares. "A lot of brides also prefer to have their dress completely done a month before their wedding just so the fit is perfect and there are no changes in the body."

6 to 8 Weeks Before the Wedding

You should have your first fitting scheduled at least six to eight weeks before your wedding. At this time, work with your seamstress to make minor tweaks (like changing the neckline, trim train, etc.), and consider bringing a bridesmaid or two along to demonstrate how to bustle the gown. Hold off on buying your bridal undergarments until after this point, however, so that you can gauge the best foundation for your specific situation.

4 Weeks Before the Wedding

At four weeks, you should be scheduled to have your second fitting. By now, most of the heavy lifting should be out of the way, so you'll have a much better visual of how the dress will look. If you haven't already, choose the final headpiece, veil, and accessories. Come armed with your lingerie, as well.

2 Weeks Before the Wedding

While some dresses only require two fittings, a third, final round of alterations may be necessary, which typically happens two weeks before your big day. At this juncture, the gown should be almost flawless. Try on your entire wedding ensemble—veil, shoes, and all—and prepare for a sappy (even tearful) first full look.

1 Week Before the Wedding

Now, it's officially crunch time—you'll need to pick up your finished gown and pay the remaining balance, including alteration fees. The salon or tailor will also send you home with a protective garment bag to keep the precious cargo safely stored until the big day (and out of view from nosy fiancés).

Also, fear not if you're flying. "Gowns are constructed so much differently now—many are so light and airy and they’re easy to take care of yourself," says Watters. "But, usually, the alteration people will have it very [travel ready]." Simply carry the dress, bag, and all, on the airplane with you (never check it with your luggage), and safely stash it in an overhead bin, front closet, or on its own seat (yes, some brides buy plane tickets for their gowns).

The Big Day

Before walking down the aisle, unpack the gown, hang it up to air out, and steam away any wrinkles for the finishing, picture-perfect touch. Hesitant to lay hands on your own dress? Watters says that some bridal salons provide consultants to service the wedding. "It just depends on your budget and how much help you want from the salons for these extra services," she explains.

How to Shop for a Last-Minute Wedding Dress

While the above timeline is ideal, not all brides have this much leeway—in fact, some may need their gowns in as quickly as a week. If you're wondering when to buy your wedding dress but the above timeline doesn't apply to you, there are some options to consider. Dunbar explains that leading bridal designers actually have the technology to pre-cut gowns, meaning they can get a head start on the creation process before the dress is even ordered (way less waiting on your end). Brides on a deadline can also turn to expedited shipping options if needed.

Or, for to-be-weds with substantially shrunken timelines, meet your saving grace: the online route. Especially on par for brides seeking a relaxed and modern look, retailers like Anthropologie, Eloquii, Shopbop, Revolve, Net-a-Porter, MATCHESFASHION, and Reformation all offer diverse collections of high-quality, on-trend, ready-to-wear gowns available for immediate purchase. Happy gown hunting!

more in

The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Dress Shopping

Related Stories