When Should You Buy Your Wedding Dress: The Wedding Dress Timeline

Many brides don’t realize just how long the wedding dress timeline can be until they’ve started the process. That means if you wait too long, you could end up cutting it close to get your dress before your big day. So, when should you buy your wedding dress? How late is too late?

This article will go over the typical wedding dress timeline and help you plan your dress shopping. This is not something you should take lightly or procrastinate. After all, you have plenty of other stressors to deal with in planning a wedding. By getting your dress early, you can relax and enjoy your engagement. And if you waited a bit too long and need your dress in a hurry, don’t worry - we’ve got some tips to help you get your dress fast. Read through all the way to the end!  

Breaking Down The Typical Wedding Dress Timeline When Shopping Online

Before we explain when you should buy your wedding dress, we want to go over the timeline. Sure, shopping online is far more convenient and quick than in-store boutique shopping. However, there are still a few essential steps to getting your dress. We’re going to breakdown the steps below:

Step 1) Connecting With A Bridal Consultant To Plan Your Dress

If you want to increase your chances of finding a dress you adore fast, you need to match up with a bridal consultant at Avery Austin. Dress shopping can be intimidating - after all, this is probably your first time doing it. That’s why you should leverage the help of our experts. With over 30 years of experience in the bridal industry, we’re here to help guide you through this complicated process. You don’t have to do it on your own - we’ve got this!

We’ll work together to go over the details of your wedding and learn your specific style preferences. This information will prove invaluable as we help you build your try-at-home box - which is step 2.

Step 2) Try On Wedding Dresses & Find Your Perfect Fit

One of the reasons we’ve earned the reputation as the #1 online bridal gown boutique? We make it easy to try on wedding dresses at home. You can even try on bridesmaid dresses at Avery Austin! It’s simple and affordable - it costs just $15 per wedding dress and $10 per bridesmaid dress. And you get to experience the tradition of trying on dresses surrounded by your girls and other loved ones - from the comfort and privacy of your own home! Just add champagne. If you love your sample, you can buy it for 20% off!

Once our bridal experts have a better idea of what your dream dress is, we’ll pick out three samples to send your way. As we discussed in our article how many wedding dresses should I try on, you may not find “the one” in this first box. That’s ok - we’ll take your feedback and send three more dresses your way. We won’t stop until we’ve found your dream dress. And because we’re so good at what we do, chances are, we’ll find it early on. At that point, you’ll move on to the next phase in the wedding dress timeline - getting your dress built.

Step 3) Your Wedding Dress Is Made Upon Ordering

Once you say yes to the dress, we’ll get to work crafting your dress with immaculate attention to detail. These gowns are typically made to order. This is how we get you a fit and feel that leaves you feeling amazing. And as you can imagine, this process takes time. You can’t rush perfection, after all! Keep in mind you will still need alterations - more on that later.

Step 4) Your Wedding Dress Is Shipped To Your Door

Now comes the fun part - and if you ask most brides, the most frustrating part of dress shopping - waiting for your dress to arrive at your door! You’re so excited to see it in all its glory. Patience is a virtue, though. And we’ve got good news. When you shop at Avery Austin, you get your dress lightning fast! In fact, you would typically get your dress in as little as 9 weeks after ordering at Avery Austin. With Covid delays, you can currently expect a 13 week delivery - which is still a fraction of the alternative choices, which are experiencing delays up to 6 months.

Step 5) Make Any Necessary Alterations Before The Big Day

We’re confident that we’re going to nail your dress for you. It will fit exactly how you want it to and you’ll look and feel stunning. However, there is the off chance you may need to make alterations to get it “just right” before the big day. We recommend giving yourself at least a 1-2 month cushion for this. Why? Because you’ll have the initial alterations appointment, a first fitting, a second fitting, and additional fittings as necessary until you get it right. Sometimes, seamstresses are busy and can’t get to your order right away - causing further delays. So, you need to factor this in when planning when you should buy your wedding dress online.

So, When Should You Buy Your Wedding Dress Online?

When should you buy your wedding dress? In our opinion, the earlier, the better. You will be way ahead of the curve if you can start shopping for your dress a year in advance. Sure, this may be a bit premature - but how great would it feel to check dress shopping off your list of to-dos? After all, you no doubt have plenty of other things on your mind as you plan your wedding. Getting this out of the way early allows you to avoid the stress of meeting deadlines or worse - scrambling at the last minute because your dress is delayed and may not arrive in time.

Here at Avery Austin, we recommend placing your order at least five months in advance of when you want it. That means you should start shopping as early as six months out from your wedding date. You never know how long it will take to find “the one” - so don’t delay.

Even for bridesmaid dresses we recommend shopping 3 months in advance. This grants you peace of mind knowing you have time on your side. Here are some reasons it is so important to start shopping early.

Why You Should Buy Your Wedding Dress Five Months In Advance

We know what you’re thinking - five months? That seems way early! But, buying a wedding dress online isn’t as simple as just adding a product to your cart and getting it shipped to your door. The vast majority of dresses we sell are made to order. That means we need additional time to ensure it fits you perfectly. You want to look and feel your absolute best as you walk down the aisle, right?

This 5-month cushion also allows additional time for delays in transit. While typical bridal salons will deliver your dress within 5-6 months, we can get yours to your door in as little as 12 weeks! 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, shipping times have skyrocketed. You need to account for that. And, you want to have ample time to make alterations if they’re necessary. We are confident we’ll craft your dress to perfection. But if your figure changes or you make an audible last minute, you need time to make it all happen. 

It’s also worth noting that if you want to take bridal portraits, you need to have your dress in hand extra early. All things considered, you may want to start shopping even earlier than 5 months if you want to eliminate any sort of stress around your dress.

Need Your Wedding Dress Fast? Here’s What You Need To Know

Maybe it’s too late - your wedding date is looming, and you don’t have six months to plan out your dress as we’ve outlined above. You don’t even have five months, for that matter. Is there anything you can do to speed up the wedding dress timeline and get your gown fast? At this time, we’re unable to offer rush production for our dresses. However, we already boast the fastest production time in the industry. And, you can find expedited shipping options at checkout to cut down on transit time.

There is also another solution if you don’t have time to waste. At Avery Austin, we have a great selection of in-stock wedding dresses ready to ship to your door. These gowns are still stunning, and you’ll no doubt find an amazing choice for your big day. Most importantly, these can typically be ordered and arrive at your door in just 7 days. 

Parting Thoughts On The Wedding Dress Timeline

Now you know when you should buy your wedding dress, as we’ve broken down the typical wedding dress timeframe. It’s not as simple as going online and placing your order - at least, not if you want to look and feel your absolute best. Don’t worry - if you can start early, we’ll guide you through this process and help you get your dress well before the big day. Head over to Avery Austin and connect with one of our bridal experts so we can get the process started. We’re excited to help you make your fairytale wedding a reality!