When Should i go dress shopping while losing weight?

I just got engaged last month, and am not getting married til January of 2019. You've probably already been looking at dresses online... see what designer you're gravitating towards...

I'm hoping to lose 40+ pounds in the next 12 months (I've gained weight in recent years, so this is a strong motivation to get back to 'normal')... and I'm super freaked out about getting a dress taken in 4+ sizes. My first bridal appointment with family isn't until May... but I went to go look in person last week because I couldn't help myself. I was told to pull dresses I liked, and 7 dresses later, she told me 6/7 were Stella York/Essense of Australia, so that's probably the designer I'll go with. That specific designer is a 3-4 month order window... So I may even not order in May, and go back in August or September.

I'd say go for an appointment... see what styles/designers you like... then if, like me, it's one definite designer, see what the window is for ordering.

Thanks ladies! You have all been super helpful! I am going to start looking around the same time! I would rather have to get more taken in than not have enough time etc

I used to work as a bridal consultant for the longest time ! We used to say orders would come in 9 months, but it was usually much before that.. depending on the designer!
i would say give yourself 9 months before the wedding and then order.
Either way, when altering a dress can be taken in however much you need, but can only be taken out half an inch or so!
We never charged for the amount we would have to take it, we charged for the “take in” itself. So it was a set price.
I hope I explained this correctly lol!
Best of luck, congratulations!

We got engaged December 2016 and we were getting married September 2017. I went for my first dress shopping outing in January and actually found my dress. The dress was in by June and I had my first and only fitting in August. Most places will tell you that it take 6-8 months for a dress to come in and you still need time for fittings and alterations. You can pay for rush orders though at most bridal salons. I think you could wait a little if you want to lose a bit more weight before shopping but don't wait too long.

I got my dress in October and it's coming in in March, my wedding is in June. They are doing 2-3 fittings for alterations between March and June. I thought I didn't have enough time with such a short engagement but I called salons to make sure I could have one ordered in time

It's always good to check with bridal salons as well, before I went shopping and was looking at where to go, I noticed that the recommended time ranged anywhere from 4-6 months, to a year depending on the store.
I bought mine exactly 9 months before my wedding date, and they said that I had more than enough time to get the dress in and have time for alterations.

I got mine in December and wedding is in August. I’m nervous about alterations and I haven’t even lost the weight yet! I say 8-10 mo should be enough time, you can start earlier if you are unsure of the style you want!

Depends on the designer how long it takes to come in ... avg 6-8 mths. Then you need to alter, leaving it too close might leave you disappointed as you might not be able to get what you want. If you go looking July 2018 you can order your dream dress then alter it and be closer to the size you will be at the wedding. You’re going to look gorgeous regardless ❤️

I bought my dress about 10 months in advance.... I hadnt intended on looking at dresses for me- we were just looking for my bridesmaids and i happened upon my dress on a clearance rack.

That was september and i havent tried it on since... It fit me perfectly at the time but i have no idea how it will fit me now!

I’m getting married May 25, 2019 and have my first appointment booked April 21 for dress shopping. My plan is to go and buy my dress but not go for the first fitting for a few months so that I can lose a good chunk of my weight and hopefully only have to take it in once or twice vs three or four times

I started looking online for ideas and styles. Any material or styles I didn't like I told the bridal store and they didn't bring me those types of dresses so it cut down my dress shopping a lot. I only bought my dress so early because of that scare with the Alfred Angelo company going under. Shopped May 2017 bought my dress June 2017, bridal store said it would take about 6 months for my dress to come in so I estimated it for it be to be here end of this month or early Feb.

But surprise it showed up 2 months after it ordered it, so it officially arrived 1 yr before my wedding. My dress is sitting in a closet so I'm using that to ensure my weight is maintained or if I lose a bit it's ok but I MUST stay within the same range, as when I tried it on it was a PERFECT fit. Over the last couple months I did gain a bit of weight just due to stress (work/christmas).

I would suggest the minimum amount of time to order your dress would be 8 months, that way there is still time for alterations when it comes in. My engagement is 10 months, so I went right away to get mine. I ended up ordering it the size I am now, even though I would like to lose a bit of weight. It's not a guarantee that it will happen though, so I would rather pay the extra to take it in than to add more material.

Shows on TV and stores recommend that you start looking for a dress at least a year in advance to give you time to search - that’s all. That way your not stressed and frantic finding a dress. I’m only 5’2 and just ordered my dress last week and it’s due to arrive on May 5. If your worried about the cost of alterations you can always get a quote on what you would like done. I’m adding sleeves, getting it hemmed to my height, adding a higher neckline and it will have to be tailored to my shape. I’ve been charged only $100 so not bad in my opinion. Don’t stress and have lots of fun searching

I got engaged Dec 15 2017. Getting married April 6,2019. Just bought my dress last weekend. If I loss weight, I’ll have it altered but either way it has to be altered. It’s two sizes to big right now but I love it. I had no intentions of dress shopping that day so my hair is a mess lol

I had 9 months between my engagement and when we're getting married. I went dress shopping in July and it came in by December. I checked with 5 different stores before going in case I couldn't get a dress ordered in time, but they all said that should be fine. I would say a minimum of 8 months to give yourself time for alterations.

I started early. We got engaged in October of 2015 and I had my dress ordered the next month. I wouldn't wait a very long time to go because dresses can take 8-10 months to come in, depending on where you order from. Doesn't hurt to start looking around!