When should you buy your wedding dress?
Ask an ordinary bridal shop and you will almost always get the same answer: come 9-12 months before the wedding. It is not to put pressure on you. It is because the dress has to be ordered in your size, and that takes time.
Why everyone says a year
In the traditional system, you try on a sample dress in the shop. Once you have chosen, your dress is ordered from the factory, often in Spain, Italy, Poland or Asia. That usually takes four to eight months. Then the dress needs altering, and a year has gone by. That is how it works in most of the world. In the US, the big wedding websites recommend exactly the same.
The problem is that life doesn't always follow a plan. The wedding gets moved, your body changes, or you simply don't find the time. Many brides suddenly find themselves with two months to go and no dress.
Off the rack and sample sales
In the US and the UK, brides have hunted sample sales for decades, where shops sell their sample dresses cheaply to make room for the new collection. People queue in the morning outside the big shops in New York and London. The English term for dresses that are ready and sold as they are is off the rack.
That is exactly what we do all year round. All our dresses hang in the showroom, and we only have one of each style. The dress you try on is the dress you buy, and it goes home with you the same day. We have held 11 sample sales over the years, and brides have come from both Sweden and Norway to join in.
So when should you come?
With us, three to four months before the wedding is a really good time. That gives you peace to find the dress and plenty of time for the tailor. But it can easily be done faster. Alterations take two to three weeks, so if you have a month, it is still possible. Mention it when you book, and we will put out dresses in your size in advance.
If you come very early, a year or more ahead, remember that your body can change. That is not a problem, but the alterations should then be done close to the day, not right after you buy.
Once you have said yes
Take the dress home, hang it up high so the hem doesn't touch the floor, and keep it away from sunlight and damp. Book the tailor the same day, and buy your shoes before the dress is taken up.
You will find more answers about buying, delivery and returns in our FAQ on buying a wedding dress. We are a Danish shop with over 1,000 dresses in sizes 34-74 (EU). See all our wedding dresses, look at our ball gown wedding dresses, or book a fitting directly.