So you’ve found that perfect venue, now it’s time to find your perfect dress to wear on that special day!
There really is no right or wrong time to start wedding dress shopping, it’s down to the bride herself. We’ve had brides through the door with wedding dates in a week or less and other brides with over 4 years to go.
Here is our rough consultants guideline on an ideal wedding dress timeline:
12-9 months before your wedding day
A good rule of thumb is, once you find your venue, it’s time to start the hunt for your perfect dress! Visiting bridal shops or at least researching are good places to start.
Dresses generally take around 4-5 months to arrive from the time the order is placed and then the dress arrives in our shop.
Additional time will be spent trying your dress on and organising appointments with our approved seamstresses, but not until nearer the time of your wedding. We tell our brides to start around a year or so before your wedding day in order to gain the most from your experience and journey you’re about to go on.
This also gives you some leeway if you don’t find what you’re looking for straight away. Most designers bring out two collections a year so that gives you ample opportunity to find that perfect dress!
8-7 months before
It’s time to shop for the rest of your girl gang, your flowergirls and bridesmaids! It’s a task that can take longer than you might expect. Especially if they are all over the world. Plus trying to please everyone with the exact same dress can be tricky. You might consider the same material and colour just different dresses that suit everyone’s body. Something that might suit your 14 year-old niece might not suit your aunt or sister. We just need measurements and all of our dresses options can be seen online.
It can be hard to please everyone, so consider the same colour and material but different shapes that flatter each of your bridal party!
6 months before
Time to find your shoes and underwear that you want to add to your dream bridal look. Bearing in mind you most likely won’t need a bra as it will be built into your dress, but hold-it-all-in-pants are a dream or you could go for something a bit sexier.
When it comes to shoes, it can feel like a mammoth mission. The thoughts that go through your head like ‘Does it even matter?’, ‘Are people even going to see my shoes?’ and ‘Maybe they should be the most spectacular shoes ever because it is my wedding day’. Honestly, there is no right answer but one thing to always be aware of it, if you’re wearing 5 inch heels during the day then switch to flat shoe at night, your dress will be 5 inches too long!
6-5 months before
It’s felt like forever and ever but finally, you get the phonecall you’ve been waiting for from one of our consultants…YOUR DRESS HAS ARRIVED!
You feel excited and nervous at the same time. From this moment it starts to feel real, knowing that the dress sat there will be the one you actually wear on your wedding day – it can be a bit overwhelming. But, no matter how nervous you feel, it’s definitely time to book your first fitting! Bring your nearest and dearest but don’t bring too many people as you don’t want to spoil the surprise for your wedding day. Now, it’s best to remember that this is only a first fitting and the dress might not be a perfect fit. It might need a little nip and tuck or the straps made tighter, but it’s nothing our seamstresses can’t do!
4 months before
If you ordered your bridesmaid dresses 3 months ago, they will arrive around about now! Another exciting moment and a chance to see what your bridal party will look like on your big day. Don’t stress about bringing everyone in to try their dresses together if they can’t, we can arrange smaller groups that cater for everyone.
And if you’re struggling to find men’s ties that match the bridesmaids dresses, we can definitely help with that. Our bridesmaid dress company can supply matching men’s ties. Anything from a bow tie, cravat or just a regular straight tie. It really takes the stress out of it!
4-3 months before
It’s time to get your first hair and makeup trial done. Looking at inspiration online is the best place to start and we have partners we can recommend to you if you want more choice. Don’t be afraid to tell your artist about any changes you want to make.
We then recommend trying your dress on again straight after so you can decide what hair accessories you want! Veils can typically take around 2 weeks to come in and tiaras or other hair pieces can take a few days so you’ve still got plenty of time to decide on the things that match your dress perfectly!
3 months before
Time to start alterations on your dress. We have 5 dedicated seamstresses across both of our stores in Welwyn Garden City and Saffron Walden that are highly recommend and can do whatever you need to do. This is your moment to really let the seamstress know how you want your dress to look on your big day. Adding sleeves, changing the neckline or beading or even adding a modesty panel can make a huge difference and are easy to do.
Make sure you have your shoes and underwear sorted by now as you’ll need them at your appointment!
2 months before
Your dress might be almost finished having any seamstress work that’s being done, but you’ll now need to organise alterations for anything else that needs doing. Bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride or groom, even the men’s suits!
2-1 months before
It’s getting so close now, it’s time for any final fittings to make sure everything is perfect and that you’re 100% happy with everything. You’ve still got enough time to make any subtle changes if you need to, and still time to order a veil or hair pieces if you haven’t done so already!
1 month before
We can chat about the very important moment, collecting your dress. We need to know a little in advance so we can arrange when we will steam the dress. When we steam a dress, we do it layer by layer starting from the inside all the way to the outside. We will make your dress look amazing and it’s one of the most satisfying things for us to do and is surprisingly relaxing. It takes about a day to dry and it’s best to take the dress home in a duvet cover so it doesn’t get too squished in our dress bags. We also steam bridesmaid dresses, veils and just about anything else you need steaming. When you take your dress home or to the venue, make sure it’s out of its bag or duvet cover so it doesn’t crease again and can breathe!
1 week before
Everything is basically done now, it’s just the ticking down of the clock to the big day. But there are a few last minute things to do. You can get your engagement ring professionally cleaned in our Welwyn store so that it will look fantastic in wedding photos. It takes less than 10 minutes and makes your ring is sparkle, ready for your new wedding band to join it. It’s also time to collect your dress if you haven’t already and just double check you have everything ready to go. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your wedding party if you need it!
Your Wedding Day
aaaand relax. The big day has finally arrived. Take the time to soak in every moment, big and small as it goes so fast and will be over before you know it. Remember, you look amazing and just reflect and capture those moments that will last a lifetime!
Oh, and be sure to send us lots of pictures when you get them <3
