by: Veronika Lazabal
So, Romeo finally popped the question (yay!) and you’re ready to begin planning your dream wedding. First things first: it’s time to find the perfect wedding dress. But, what to do? Where to go? How to shop for that perfect dress. Relax, chica—we’ve got you covered. Here’s our guide to shopping for the perfect wedding frock:
Set a Budget:
Diamonds are forever. The dress, on the other hand, only has to last about ten hours, tops. So, unless your famila is loaded (or you started saving in the third grade) the prices of wedding dresses may send you into a little bit of sticker shock. But keep in mind that many bridal boutiques can take a picture of a designer dress and come pretty close to replicating it at a fraction of the original cost. A good budgeting strategy to keep in mind: Decide how much you can afford to spend on the entire wedding, carve out an allotment for your dress, and then work backwards from there.
Style, Babe:
Perhaps the best way to decide on the style of dress that you want is to grab a stack of wedding magazines and tear out pictures of the ones that catch your eye. You’ll probably notice a theme or two developing as your pile of cut outs grows. Try to keep an open mind (not every dress you love is going to love you back, so make sure that you check out dresses that will flatter your body shape).
You might want to keep the theme and mood of your wedding in mind as you select a gown as well. Casual or shorter length dresses look great at a beach wedding, while a splash of color or an extra long train can add serious drama to a formal affair.
Time it
Just how long does it take to find the perfect dress, have it altered, choose your accessories, and sashay down the aisle in style? We suggest setting out on your dress shopping adventure about 6 months before the big day. Figure it will take a couple of trips to bridal shops before you find “the one”.
From there, it will be about 8-12 weeks to receive your dress after the initial fitting. Tack on a couple of weeks for alterations and up to four months for delivery, and (whew) you’re all done!
