Bridal timelines: when to buy your dress
When you first get engaged, a few things feel like the natural firsts when it comes to the planning the wedding - essentially, when and where! But once you’ve got the date and venue locked in, where does the dress fit in to the rest of the timeline? “When should I be booking my appointment?” And “How long does it take to order a wedding dress?“ are some of the most common questions that I’m asked, so today’s blog is all about answering them!
Most of the dresses that we stock here at Sixpenny Bridal take between 5-6 months to arrive into the boutique once they are ordered. This is because they are made to order especially for you! The time it takes to make the garments, add any embellishments and ensure the structure is top notch, plus shipping, all adds up. Once it’s arrived in the boutique you’ll be invited to come and try your dress on, and view any accessories you want to try with it. It might take you a few weeks to find the perfect date for this collection so that’s something to bear in mind, and then your seamstress will likely want to have your first alteration fitting between 2-3 months before the wedding.
With all of that in mind, you do tend to need a minimum of 9 months lead time to purchase a made-to-order gown. I would always suggest giving yourself a little extra buffer too if you have the opportunity, as the last thing you want is to be adding any worry or time pressures to your already busy life in the lead up to the big day! Therefore 12 months before is probably my ideal recommendation!
Now that’s for ordering, but you need to find the dress first! This is where it becomes a little bit vague, as it’s all a personal thing. You know yourself the best, and you know whether you’re going to need more time than some to decide on your dress. Whilst a lot of brides actually find their dress in the very first appointment (and I recommend not ‘over looking’ as it can be confusing!), other brides like to take their time to visit a few places and think about their options. If this is you, or you know that you want certain people at your appointment and getting them together can be harder than arranging the royal family’s diary, then you might want to give yourself a bit of breathing room for your dress search!
With all that said, 12-18 months is a great window to be looking for your dress, knowing that as soon as you’ve found it you’re ready to place that order and will have plenty of time to relax before the wedding!
Of course if you are on a tighter timeline than this that’s absolutely OK too and do not worry! (We don‘t do worrying at Sixpenny!). There are options such as quick ship / rush orders that some designers offer, although this can have an additional charge. We also sell a good selection of our dresses ‘off the peg’ so we can identify a range that are your size or easily alterable for you to choose from, and then you can take them home that same day! There’s always options, and remember, finding your dress should be an enjoyable memory for you, so try to relax and have fun with it!
Always here if you have any more questions - and happy wedding dress shopping!
Much love,
Eleanor xx