When should you start to shop?
Although we get asked this all the time we do not have a set rule of when is the best time to start shopping for your wedding dress. This is because all brides are different. What we do live by is:
"If you are not ready to buy, don't start to try!"
Now this however can also be a bit of an excuse for those brides who leave things to the last min or who actually are dreading choosing a dress to put it off! So in this blog lets look at the ideal time frame and why shopping too early or too late can lead to disappointment and not the best experience.
Over 18 Months to your wedding.
We are talking to the hyper organised and eager beaver brides. Those who just cannot wait to start trying on dresses.
So lets discuss; “How can shopping too early be a bad idea?” Now in all honesty it isn’t always a bad idea unless you have any of the following statements in your head:
1, “I am just looking.”
2, “I just want to get some ideas of what I might like.”
3, “I want to loose a bit of weight before I decide.”
If this is the case stop!! You are not ready to start shopping. We know this might seem extreme but trust us and our years of experience.
There is no such thing as “just looking” in bridal. 90% of the time you will find your dream dress the first time you start looking! Nothing compares to finding the dress that makes you feel the best version of yourself. However if you are not ready to 100% say yes, this moment very quickly turns into anxiety and stress! “What if this dress is discontinued by the time you are ready to say yes?” “What if bridal prices go up and this dress is then suddenly out of budget?” “What if you do say yes but then styles change and you end up second guessing yourself?”
If you don’t have any of those first statements in your head and/or you still think you are ready to start shopping then you need to look at our check-list of must haves before you book your first appointment. (See end of Blog).
Less than 12 months till the big day.
12 months can seem like an age and in the normal world it is! However in the wedding world it can fly! So if you do have less than 12 months till your wedding and you haven’t found your dress for starters do not panic!!! The reason we give 12 months as an optimal time for starting shopping is to be on the safe side with everything.
Here is a run down of a typical timeline from you saying YES to the dress. (Please note this is just our timeline other designers and stores will vary)
1Your dress will be placed on order that week and the materials will start to be ordered/made for your dress. These often come from all over the world so can take some time to arrive etc.
2 The full manufacturing process can take up to 8 months depending on the design and customisations.
3 The dress is then checked over in our studio for a final time before you get the call. This can mean that between you saying yes and getting the call it can be 10 months.
4 Once you have been for your pre-fit/collection appointment you will then need to book in your alterations with one of our recommended seamstresses. Depending on the time of year and where in the wedding season we are a seamstress diary can get booked up and this means it could take up to 6 weeks for your dress to be fully wedding ready.
Now stop worrying those who are looking at this and thinking “ahhhhh I have no time left”. This is not the case we have an amazing collection of ready to wear gowns that you can take home with you today. This is only a small collection but they are still incredible and often one of a kind designs. The above timeline is just to ensure you aren’t disappointed.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO SHOP?
We think the perfect time to start your bridal shopping journey is between 12 & 18 months before your big day. This means you will have no restrictions on which designs you can choose from. You will have ample time to fit in alterations. Essentially the whole process should be a dream from start to finish.
If you are still unsure here is our must have check list for what you need to have in place before you even think about shopping:
VENUE
This is by far the biggest expense of your wedding and so should always be decided on first. It will also effect your wedding date and there for the season in which you will be getting married. Your venue influences most other decisions about your wedding including your dress. For example if there isn’t a lot of space aisle wise a ballgown might not be right for your venue.
BUDGET
Discuss where your dress budget sits in your wedding plans. Even if your of the opinion that price doesn’t matter we would always say have a number in mind just in case. Unfortunately wedding dress prices in todays market can range from £100 to £10’000 depending on where you shop. Also does that number include shoes, accessories and alterations or not? You also should make sure you have at least 60% of your dress budget before you shop as this is often what the deposit costs.
If you are at all worried about timings or bridal shopping in general please, please get in touch. Our aim is to make the bridal shopping experience a luxury and stress free one for all our EJ Brides. Call or email our team today on:
01422 251847