As a little girl you probably thought about your dream wedding dress.
Now you are older and about to buy the dress you always imagined, however, it’s not as simple as choosing the dress in your size and leaving the boutique. Alterations will need to be done to guarantee that your dress fits your body perfectly.
This means you will need to go for quite a few fittings, however, setting a timeline will help you stay on track.
Even if you have no idea what kind of dress you want, this will give you ample time to find that perfect dress.
So when should you start shopping around for your dress? Ten to 12 months is the recommended time to start the hunt.
10-12 months
During this time you don’t need to buy your dress immediately, this is the time to do a little research.
Make a list of what you like and what you don’t like. You also need to take into consideration when and where your wedding will take place. If you decide on a autumn/winter wedding you will probably want a dress with a high neck or long sleeves, whereas if you decide on a beach wedding your dress will need to be designed for the weather.
If you already know what kind of veil, jewellery and shoes you want, you should keep these in mind when choosing your dress style.
Nine months
The time has come to take the plunge and buy your perfect dress. Remember that if you aren’t paying the entire amount for the dress at once, you will need to put down a deposit.
Six months
From here on it is decision making crunch time. Now that you have found your dream dress it is time to start hunting down all the accessories, if you haven’t chosen them already.
Now is the time to decide what kind of hairstyle will compliment your dress. Then you need to select what kind of veil and hair embellishments you want, if any.
Of course you need to find the perfect shoes, take into account that your shoes should be comfortable as you will be doing a lot of walking and dancing.
Many brides forget that they should buy their lingerie before going for their first fitting.
Wearing them will ensure that your dress will fit over them. You may need to buy a new bra based on the design of your dress.
Three months
It is time for your first fitting. Brides will normally go for two to three fittings. You will want to take your accessories, shoes, jewellery and veil with to get a better idea of what you will look like.
Six weeks
Since most of the alterations would have been done from the first fitting, the second fitting will be more about the minor revisions that need to be made.
Brides should walk around in the dress to make sure they are happy with the length of the dress. This can then be altered before your last fitting.
Three weeks
This is your final fitting; this is where it all comes together. A good idea it to take your maid of honour with so that she can see how to help you get your dress on and off so there won’t be any hiccups on your special day. Find a safe place to store your dress until your big day.
The day before
Put everything you will need aside so that you can be as prepared as possible. You may also want to have a handheld steamer on hand in case there are any creases you may need to get rid of.
