Don’t know when to order bridesmaid dresses before your wedding? Our experts can help! Read on to find out now.
When you should order your bridesmaids dresses depends on a few factors. You want to leave plenty of time before the wedding to research and decide on a dress style and color. Then, you’ll want your girls to try on the dresses with plenty of time left for alterations and delivery. In general, six to eight months before the wedding is safe.
Here’s a timeline on when to order bridesmaid dresses so that you can check it off your pre-wedding to-do list.
No matter where you are in the wedding planning process, the first step is to do some research and determine what bridesmaid dress style, length, color, and material you like. You’ll also need to figure out the price point and let your bridesmaid’s know what budget you have in mind. For this part of the process, you might want to do your dress shopping online or in-store with a few bridesmaids, so that you can get a visual for how the dress will look.
Once you have a dress type in mind, you can check in with the manufacturer or online retailer and ask how long it will take to order the dresses. You should also confirm that they have enough in stock to accommodate all your girls.
If your girls are picking out their own dress, you may have more flexibility with the timeline. You’ll still want to give them plenty of notice and details about the color, style, length, or material you have in mind. That will give them time to shop for and pick out the perfect dress, plus make alterations, if needed.
Around six months before the big day is a sweet spot for ordering the dresses. Some designer dresses and other bridesmaid’s dresses from bridal boutiques may take two or three months to get your dresses in stock. Plus, you need to allow two months for alterations. You’ll also want to leave in some leeway time in case anything goes awry. Keep in mind, dresses and styles may change by the season. So, if you come across a dress you love, don’t wait too long before having your girls order it.
Around six months before the wedding, if you have the bridesmaid gown picked out, go ahead and tell your ladies to order their dresses.
2-4 Months Before Wedding: Make Alterations
Photo Credit // Zola
Once your bridesmaids’ dresses come in, you’ll need to allow plenty of time for alterations to be made. Bridesmaids’ dresses are usually ordered in specific sizes and then are typically altered as needed. Alterations can take a while, so you’ll want to make sure that your dresses come in at least a few months before the wedding. That way, if your bridesmaids go through one round of alterations and need another alteration last-minute to fix anything, there’s still enough time.
1-2 Months Before Wedding: Schedule Final Fitting and Take Dresses Home
Your bridesmaids will want to schedule a final fitting where they try on the dress to make sure that all the alterations are right. If everything looks great, they can take the dress home and keep it safely stored until the wedding day.
Should You Order Bridesmaid’s Dresses Online or In-Store?
Whether you order your bridesmaids dresses online or in-store comes down to personal preference. If you prefer the personalized service you get with an in-store boutique, you can shop in-person. They will help you determine the exact timeline of when to order the dresses and may even offer alterations in-house. If your wedding party lives in different cities, having your bridesmaids order online may work best. Just make sure that they order with plenty of time left for returns or exchanging sizes before the wedding.
When Should You Order Rental Bridesmaid’s Dresses?
The timeline for renting bridesmaids dresses is a bit tricky. Most sites only allow you to rent dresses for immediately before the event, and then they need to be returned the next day. Ideally, you’ll be ordering dresses from a site that allows your bridesmaids to receive the dress up to a week before the wedding. That way they can exchange it if it doesn’t fit with plenty of time. Some rental sites even allow at-home try-ons before the wedding, where you can choose from a few styles and sizes before deciding what you like best. If you’re only able to secure the dresses a few days before, have your bridesmaids order the same dress in two different sizes, so that they can use the one that fits best.
Around six months before the big day is a sweet spot for ordering the dresses. Some designer dresses and other bridesmaid's dresses from bridal boutiques may take two or three months to get your dresses in stock. Plus, you need to allow two months for alterations.
In general, you should shop about six months out to allow for the order to arrive and any alterations needed. If you have a shorter timeline, shop our ready-to-ship bridesmaid dresses that will ship to you in just a few days!
Schedule your fitting approximately one month before the wedding. Some bridesmaids prefer to do it earlier, but it's best to wait until a month to ensure the most accurate fit. If you think your dress needs extensive adjustments, schedule your first fitting about six weeks in advance.
All of our dresses are made to order, which means that we don't make your dress until you've placed your order! For our current production times, refer to our product detail pages when viewing your desired styles. We recommend placing your order at least 4 months before your event date!
In the US, the tradition is for the bridesmaids to each pay for their own dress, regardless of who is making the final call on what the dresses will look like. The bride should try to be flexible about the kind of dresses she chooses for her girls.
Asking bridesmaids at modern weddings to pay for their own dresses is relatively common, but it's important to give them plenty of time to afford it. Saving for a £200 dress is a much easier task if your wedding is two years away compared to just a couple of months.
As the bride, you should choose the color and fabric of your bridesmaid's dresses, but you can allow them to choose their own dress silhouette. If you're going for an ethereal, whimsical, boho wedding ceremony, let your bridesmaids know you want all of them in full-length A-line gowns.
Then it usually makes sense to have them pay for the dress alterations as well. Unless all your bridesmaids live in the same area and will go to the same tailor, then letting them choose someone on their own and covering it themselves makes more sense.
Whoever is paying for the dress should pay for the alterations. Alterations are an understood extra cost and should always be added to the budget for whoever is paying. The exception to this is if it's understood upfront that costs are split somehow.
They usually suggest adding material in areas that aren't explicitly visible, like under the arms. To create more space, a back panel or corset can also be added to the dress.
There's no actual rule as to what order the bridesmaids and groomsmen should take. One of the most common ways to arrange them is by height. This will help you avoid hurting anyone's feelings (and it will also look aesthetically pleasing when the photographer takes shots of the ceremony).
Of course, you'll start with your maid of honor, followed by your sister or sister-in-law, and then from there, it tends to vary. You may have your best friend, followed by your cousin and then another close friend, or you may swap the order around.
If the bride can afford to, it's a very thoughtful gesture for her to pay for the dress or a portion of the cost for each of her bridesmaids. "We've seen more brides paying for their bridesmaids' dresses, especially if they pick a more expensive dress for their attendants to wear," she says.
"We often see the maid of honor assist in covering the cost of the bridal shower (often in conjunction with a family member of the bride), covering her own costs and some of the costs of the bride for the bachelorette party (in conjunction with the rest of the bridesmaids), her own travel to and from the wedding, a ...
There's no definitive answer of who foots the bill on bridal party glam. That said, the bride or the bridesmaids will pay for the bridal party's hair and makeup. Some brides cover the cost of glam as a “thank you” to their friends for supporting the wedding.
Traditionally, the groom's family doesn't have to pay as many wedding-related costs, but there are still plenty of ways they can get their hands in their pockets: The groom's outfit. The best man's suit and ushers' outfits (NB. As with the bridesmaids, these now tend to be bought by the groomsmen themselves)
Whether you're looking for your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, or just want to browse, we're here to serve you, no appointments required! Each store has hundreds of gorgeous dresses and accessories available off the rack to try on and take home today.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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