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Original poster

How long before the wedding did you get your dress?

18 replies

Mammie81 · 26/04/2011 12:49

My friend is getting married in a year. Shes already talking about getting a dress now and is panicing because she 'doesnt have much time'. I think shes got ages, add to that she wants to lose 4 stone before then so any dress she gets wont fit and thats a hell of a lot of alterations.

My other friend got hers 3 months before, had one alteration fitting and done!

So, when my friend says time is ticking, how can I reassure her? Shes looking at all these magazines and the little tick list/time line things are worrying her I think Sad

OP posts:
coansha · 26/04/2011 13:27

I would say 2 months minimum, maybe she is panicking with the pressure she has put herself under to lose 4 stone??
If you are a size 10/12 you can by off the peg but anything else will require altering, which takes time. but guess if she wants to lose 4 stone that is not the case.
Tell her to go easy on herself as she wont enjoy it! her fiancée loves her as she is, if she is really determined to diet give it 6 months to lose weight and then choose a dress so no huge expensive alterations.
its lovely she has a friend with her best intentions!!

BikeRunSki · 26/04/2011 13:34

Wedding dress shops stock samples and get styles/sizes in to order. This can easily take 6 months.

Pinkjenny · 26/04/2011 13:35

Mine was about 6 months, I think. They had a minimum lead time for alterations.

Original poster
Mammie81 · 26/04/2011 13:50

I thought it a year was a bit soon. Shes got so many other things to worry about at the moment, so at least thats one thing off!

OP posts:
oohlaalaa · 27/04/2011 08:32

My sister ordered hers 6 months before. I wouldnt rush the decision, friend ordered her dress within a week of getting engaged and then changed her mind, and lost deposit. I think its worth taking the time to work out what you want.

duffybeatmetoit · 11/05/2011 12:59

About 15 mths but that was because having set a date I discovered I was pregnant and would have an 8mth old on the big day. I was told due to lead times I would need to allow 7 months to find something, get it delivered/altered and didn't think trying to get fitted for a dress with a 1 month old baby would be a bright idea.

It was a leap of faith as I had no idea what shape I would be afterwards but it did work out ok. In normal circumstances I think the 7 months advice is about right. Your ideas can change so much as you get into planning the wedding that it would be all too easy to buy something and then live to regret it if you do it too early.

mumblechum1 · 11/05/2011 13:00

Um, dh proposed on the Tuesday, bought dress Thursday, married (special licence) Saturday.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 12/05/2011 14:56

About 6 months, I think.

melliebobs · 15/05/2011 18:17

I ordered my dress 8 months before my wedding. Good job really cos it only turned up 4 weeks before the big day! One lot of alterations and it fitted perfectly. But i seriously didn't anticipate it taking as long as it did

shouldnotbehere · 16/05/2011 09:50

I rushed the decision, and regretted it. Tell her to do her research first, and take her time in thinking about what she wants.

raspberrytipple · 16/05/2011 18:53

I bought mine about 3 weeks after we set the date for the wedding as it was in the Christmas sales although that was still only about 7 months ahead of the big day and I've looked at hundreds of dresses since on wedding sites/magazines and still not found one that even comes close to how lovely I think mine is. You probably need a lead in time for fittings etc which is where the 6 months comes from.

If it helps, a friend who came with me to try some dresses on is getting married in 16 months (so back in January it was even longer) and all of the shops we went to kept saying 'honestly, you have so much time'! They all recommended making a decision by the 6-8 month mark.

AngryFeet · 16/05/2011 19:01

6 months before. I had to go for something in the end that only took 16 weeks to arrive so there was time for adjustments. Some of the more expensive gowns had a 8-12 month order time on them so she is NBU starting to look now!

Imnotaslimjim · 16/05/2011 19:05

I really struggled to get a dress, I was ill, gaining weight rapidly (gained 5 stome in 6 months) and hated the whole shopping experience. Shop owners looking down their nose at my size 18 figure really didn't help. I ended up buying one from a charity shop simply because it fit with 5 weeks to go and it was awful. We're looking at renewing our vows next year, and I'm going to get a nice one for that!

purpleknittingmum · 16/05/2011 19:10

My then SIL made mine. I went and got measured in a wedding dress shop, tried on a few styles and at the time my brother wasn't living in the UK. I didn't actually try it on until about 2 days before our wedding! No adjustments necessary, but one of the sort of sleeve things pinged off at the meal and I was clutching it together, getting SIL's attention for us to go and sew it back!

She didn't think it would fit as she got someone to try it on that was about the same size and the zip wouldn't do up, but it was fine

neverontime · 16/05/2011 19:12

My sister ordered her dress a year before her wedding and its due to arrive back in the shop next week, thats less than 4 weeks before the wedding, and it still needs alterations doing! The bridesmaids dresses are still being made too :( panic stations.

blueberrysorbet · 16/05/2011 19:15

a month before, as i had just had a baby, and decided in my innocence to look after the birth as i would lose weight. i was not really welcome with my 2 month old ,. leaking boobs, giant bf bra etc etc:) i lost 4 stone between birh and wedding day and tbh she must pick a dress that its easy to alter, they do the week before if she books it in, ie buy the thing, forget about it, go back before the day...

depends what she is spending tbh. the dresses that lace at the back and look lovely are easy as in reality they do up at the side! but perhaps she is just enjoying the run up and is being led along by the nose by the wedding magazines, like i was til my dp at the time said ENOUGH!

melodyangel · 16/05/2011 23:30

Bought mine over the Internet in Feb getting married in June, thank god I haven't gotten any bigger as it's too late to do anything about it now!

startail · 09/06/2011 18:28

I tried mine on a couple of months before the wedding half made. I didn't see it finished until 2 hours before I walked down the aisle.
Made by a dressmaker aunt who lived in London. I had university exams and no money for chasing round the country.

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