Unfortunately, finding a wedding dress can be a lot harder and more stressful than people think. What many people do not know is the process behind getting a wedding dress and how long it takes to get and to alter. Which is why we are here to help! First, you will want to schedule 1-3 wedding dress appointments! Most bridal shops are appointment only and book out a couple of weeks in advance. You will work with a bridal stylist and they will help you to find the dress of your dreams! Here are some tips to know about before your first bridal appointment!

1. Come Ready with Inspiration Photos

Before you have your first bridal appointment make sure to come prepared with inspirational photos for your wedding! Your stylist will want to see the

vibe of your wedding, where you are eloping, when the wedding is, the price point, and what type of dress you are interested in. We recommend that you have a Pinterest board started for your wedding and show it to your stylist so she can get an idea of what you are wanting. Also know that styles do change and it is normal to try on dresses that you thought were going to be the one but ended up not

loving the style or silhouette on you. Trying on dresses for the first time can be an interesting and hard experience especially when you are trying to find out what you love about yourself. So definitely go to the appointments with an idea of what you are liking but be open to change and don’t be completely sold on any dress styles before you have tried it on! UtahElope.Com has some wonderful inspirations!

2. Dress timelines

Here is what can be the tricky part when planning the elopement. What many people don’t know is how long these gowns take to ship in. Depending on the dress and the designer standard shipping times can be out 6 months. Meaning the dress would take 6 months to ship. That is not the case for all designers but that is very common in the industry. Some designers can also do rush shipping and that can take about 12 weeks. Smaller designers typically take 8-12 weeks. So if you are really wanting your dress to be specially ordered and shipped in then we recommend you give yourself at least 8 months before the wedding to come in and shop (that would include time for alterations). I know that can be difficult especially with how common 3 month engagement and elopements are nowadays! So here are some options for quicker

turnarounds. Many stores will have stock gowns. This basically means that they will have back stock of their “sample dresses” which are the dresses that you try on to order. Depending on the dress and what size you are, the store may or may not stock the dress you are wanting. If they do have it in stock, you would purchase the dress that day and take it home with you. Which is great for when you need the dress quicker. Another option for faster weddings is sale gowns. These are great options if you are on a budget and need your dress quickly. Sale gowns are typically on sale because there was a snag on the dress, the dress was discontinued, the designer was dropped, they wanted to get rid of that sample, and many other reasons. Just because a dress has one of those reasons does not mean that it is not an amazing dress! So don’t be afraid to shop the sale rack because there are probably some amazing gowns in there for an even better price. It is important to know your different timelines when purchasing the gown, especially if you are wanting to order a new one in!

3. Alterations

What many people underestimate is the time that alterations can take! Depending on what you are doing to the dress, alterations can take anywhere from 4-10 weeks. Many bridal stores will do alterations in-house and you will pay through the bridal store. While others will have the seamstress be contracted with them and the alterations will be separate and you pay through the seamstress. A hem and a fit will be closer to about 6 weeks. Doing an elaborate alteration is when it will take closer to 10 weeks. This would include doing build ups, changing a neckline, and replacing or changing the sleeve. This is something that your bridal stylist will be able to help you navigate. They should be able to let you know what you can and can’t alter on certain dresses and they will be able to tell you the time frame of that alteration. Once you have your wedding dress you will take it to alterations. It is also important to let your seamstress know what day you need the dress especially if you are doing any bridal photos before the wedding.

It is important when you are shopping for your wedding dresses to find a good wedding dress store that is going to be accommodating to you and all of your needs! And remember that wedding dress shopping is supposed to be fun