How Soon Should You Buy Your Wedding Dress in 2022?
Don’t let COVID-related delays, bridal gown supply chain issues, and other pandemic disruptions get in the way of your big day.
Planning a wedding is one of the most memorable experiences you’ll ever have, but it can also be one of the most stressful. In pre-pandemic years, most brides could follow a pretty typical timeline and feel assured that their dresses, veil and accessories would arrive on time. But that was before complications from the pandemic, the current global supply chain crisis, and a surge in couples planning weddings dramatically affected timeline expectations.
To avoid the stresses of unexpected delays, it’s important to realize that the pre-pandemic timeline that was typically recommended is no longer reliable. If you want to ensure your wedding planning experience is as wonderful and memorable as your big day, follow this guide for hitting your important dream-dress milestones.
Milestone 1: The Wedding Dress
Finding the perfect dress is one of the most fun and exhilarating parts of the wedding planning experience. You’ve done your research. You’ve poured over hundreds of pages of bridal magazines. You’ve tried on styles that make your figure sing—and maybe some that hit a sour note—but at last, you found it! This is your dream dress. Now seal the deal. Don’t risk unexpected delays that could affect you and your perfect dress from spending your perfect day together.
Before COVID, you could typically have ordered your dress nine to 12 months before your wedding date. Now, you should plan to say “yes” to the dress at 12 to 18 months before your wedding date. If you can order it with even more time, do it. The bigger the buffer the better. You want to ensure your dream dress arrives according to your timeline and with enough time to schedule fittings and alterations. Even if you get it early, that just leaves you more time to sneak into the closet to take peeks at it and dream about your big day.
Milestone 2: The Bridesmaids’ Dresses
Part of the fun of picking out your bridal party’s dresses is exploring the many colors, fabrics, and styles. The look of your bridal party is an essential part of setting the tone of this very special event. Whether you choose dresses to accent a themed wedding, or decide on a style that makes a dramatic statement, or simply opt for letting each of your bridesmaids express their own personal flair while showcasing your favorite color, you don’t want to have to pass on the perfect choice because it isn’t going to work with your timeline.
Before COVID, you could typically have ordered your bridesmaids’ dresses six months before your wedding date. Now, you and your party should plan to order dresses at nine to 12 months before your wedding date.
Milestone 3: Veil and Accessories
The crowning touch to your perfect wedding-day look is going to be your choice of veil and accessories. You want to give as much attention to these important details as you do to your wedding gown choice. Whether you choose to order your veil and accessories at the same time as your wedding dress, or wait until after you’ve ordered your gown, keep in mind that you should plan on leaving enough time so that you can do at least one fitting with the complete ensemble.
Before COVID, you could typically have ordered your veil and accessories three to six months before your wedding date. Now, you should plan to order your veil and any other accessories at least six months before your wedding date.
Milestone 4: Alterations
Nothing ruins the perfect dress like an imperfect fit. To ensure you have enough time to get all the necessary alterations and fittings, you have to plan ahead. This milestone is tricky because it’s obviously contingent on the dress’s arrival date, which highlights the importance of sticking to the guidelines of your other milestones.
Before COVID, you could typically have scheduled a fitting and started alterations for you and your bridal party about two to three months before your wedding date. This would require calling to schedule about a month in advance in most cases. Now, you should plan on scheduling a fitting and starting alterations for your dress and any of your bridal party’s dresses three to four months before your wedding date. Ideally, you should call to reserve any alteration appointments as soon as you know the dress’s arrival date.
Make memories while meeting milestones.
If the last two years has taught us anything, it’s that we have to be ready for the unexpected. When you’re planning for your perfect day, it’s important to keep some perspective about what matters most. The memories you make during your wedding planning experience will outlive everything else.
You may find yourself facing challenges outside of your control, which is why using an updated timeline like this will help get you to the alter with every needed stitch. But it’s equally important to work with an experienced team that can help you and your bridal party navigate life’s unexpected curve balls.
At The White Dress, we are committed to giving you a pressure-free bridal appointment. The last thing we want to do is make you feel like you have to buy a dress because of a tight timeline. But we also know that the best way to avoid stress of all kinds is to start shopping early.
If you’re planning a wedding but haven’t found your dress, we are here for you. Whether you’ve looked at a dozen dresses or none, we can listen to your wish list and guide you toward a dress you’ll be confident in saying “yes” to. Set up an appointment today to get started.