When Should I Start Shopping For My Wedding Dress?
They put a ring on your finger and now you’re probably thinking “I need to say yes to the dress!” and you’re absolutely right! We are ready to help you find your dream gown and with so many styles in-store, there is a gown for every bride!
A common question we receive is “when should I start shopping for my wedding dress?”
While there's an ideal timeframe, we also offer options for those who will be getting married on a shorter timeline!
Is there really a perfect time to shop for my wedding dress?
For us, we like to say it’s never too early to start shopping, but the perfect amount of time would be to start shopping for your wedding dress 10-12 months before your wedding day!
So why 10-12 months?
SPECIAL ORDERING YOUR GOWN (5-7 MONTHS):
Our gowns at Charlotte’s are special order gowns and take about 5-7 months to arrive! That’s from placing the order with the designer, having it made, getting it shipped to the store, and of course the time of year as well as other things that might be going on in the world can play a role in the time it takes for your gown to arrive, but usually 5-7 months is the sweet spot!
When you are shopping for your gown at Charlotte’s, your stylist will put you in our sample gowns and once you say yes to the dress, take your measurements and order the gown to fit!
ALTERATIONS (2-3 MONTHS):
Every gown needs alterations to ensure that it is the perfect fit for you! Alterations usually take between 2-3 months (based on seamstresses availability and of course this can vary as well!) so you want to ensure you leave yourself enough time to receive your gown, pick it up in store, and then have your gown altered.
Once you purchase your wedding dress, you will receive a list of our preferred seamstresses. We recommend reaching out to a few seamstresses and checking their availability once you receive confirmation from your stylist when your gown is expected to arrive (as this is information that you will want to provide for your seamstress!)
What if I’m getting married sooner?
We know that not every bride has (or wants to wait) 12 months to tie the knot, which is why we want to give as many options as we can for every bride!
We have the ability to check inventory with our designers in real time during your appointment to see which gowns they have available, ready to be shipped out!
If you have a shorter time frame or are looking for a more budget friendly option, we do have some gowns available to purchase off the rack, meaning you could walk home with your gown the same day!
Have any questions about when or where to begin the process of saying yes to the dress?
Call us at 503.297.9622 or email us at bridal@charlottesweddings.com!