You’ve found your dream wedding dress and placed your order with your bridal store - now what? Wedding dress shopping is such an exciting time of the wedding planning process but what happens after you say “yes to the dress”? Buying a wedding dress is much different than purchasing everyday clothing at a department store or buying something online and having it shipped to you, so many brides do not know what to expect after placing their order and what happens after your wedding dress arrives to the bridal store.
Wedding dresses are special order items so once you place your order at the bridal store, you will be waiting a few months for your gown to be made and shipped to the bridal store. What should you expect in terms of how the dress will fit you once it arrives at the bridal store? How do wedding dress fittings and alterations work? How do you get your wedding dress ready to walk down the aisle? Today we are sharing our expert bridal stylist advice on what to expect when your wedding dress order arrives.
Video: What To Expect When The Wedding Dress You Ordered Arrives
What happens after you order your wedding dress? Many brides are curious about what steps come after ordering their bridal gown and if their dress will fit and be ready for the walk down the aisle once it arrives in store. Before you head to your wedding dress fitting and gown inspection appointment, be sure to watch our advice video all about what to expect when the wedding dress you ordered arrives.
Custom Ordering
The first thing to know about ordering a wedding dress is that wedding dresses are custom order items. It’s not like going to your favorite boutique or department store where you shop for jeans and taking them home at the time of purchase. There are of course instances where you might buy a sample sale wedding dress and you can take that dress home with you same day because it is in the store and you are buying that exact dress. But in most cases, you will be trying on wedding dresses from the bridal store’s inventory and those sample gowns are just in stock for brides to try on when shopping.
Once they find their dream wedding dress, a bride will place an order for that particular dress to be made for them. Your bridal stylist will take your body’s measurements, bust, waist, and hips, and align those with the designer’s size chart. From there, you will order your wedding dress to the size that best accommodates your personal measurements. Wedding dresses can take 6 to 8 months to be manufactured once an oder is placed. After the wedding dress is complete, it will be shipped to the bridal store you bought your wedding dress from. This is why we always encourage brides to buy their wedding dress about a year before their wedding date so there will be ample time for construction, shipping, and alterations before wedding day.
Wedding Dress Inspection
Once your wedding dress arrives in store, you will come in for a wedding dress inspection appointment. This is a very exciting time because it’s the first time you are seeing the dress you will walk down the aisle in! It has been many months since you first fell in love with your wedding dress and got to try it on, so it’s normal for there to be some nerves and a lot of feelings when your wedding dress order arrives.
At this first appointment, you will get to inspect your wedding dress and ensure that everything is correct. You will also get to try on your dress again and begin to get an idea of what alterations need to happen. Keep in mind that even though your dress was ordered to fit your body measurements, the dress is not going to fit you perfectly all over. The size that best fits your body and accommodates your proportions is what will be ordered and then you’ll work with a seamstress to fine tune the fit.
First Dress Fitting
We have seen panic set in on many brides when they first try on their wedding dress after their order arrives in store. Even though their dress is being made specifically for them, it’s not going to come fitting perfectly and does need alterations so keep this in mind for when you first get to try on your dress. The dress doesn’t fit perfectly and brides think the wrong size was ordered or that something went wrong. Remember that your dress is going to be ordered based on the size that will accommodate your largest size measurement and proportion.
From there, your alterations seamstress will tailor your wedding gown to make sure it fits you perfectly through the bust, hips and waist and will hem your dress to the proper length as well. At the very least, every wedding dress is going to need to be hemmed to your height depending on what type of shoe you plan to wear on wedding day. Keep your expectations in check and know that it’s perfectly normal for your wedding dress to need some alterations to fit you correctly.
Wedding Dress Alterations
After your first wedding dress fitting, which is typically about 2 months before your wedding day, you will have a second fitting that is about a month before the wedding. These appointments ensure your seamstress is going to get your dress just right. Be sure to bring your wedding shoes with you so that the hem length can be correct for your heels or flats that you will wear on wedding day.
We know that many brides are hoping to save money by not having to pay for alterations, but having your wedding dress fit you perfectly is so worth the investment. You don’t want to be tripping down the aisle because there is too much fabric at your feet. You want to make sure your wedding dress is actually a bit snug because just like your favorite jeans expand and stretch a bit throughout a day of wearing them, your wedding dress fabric will also stretch as it warms from your body throughout wedding day.
Your final wedding dress fitting will be the week of your wedding so any last minute changes can be made to perfect the fit.
More Helpful Wedding Dress Shopping Advice
We hope you have found this advice helpful when it comes to knowing what to expect after ordering your wedding dress. For even more helpful advice when it comes to shopping for your dream wedding dress, be sure to check out our past posts:
- The Total Cost Of A Wedding Dress Including Alterations & Accessories
- What To Expect During Wedding Dress Alterations
- 5 Ways To Know You've Found Your Wedding Dress
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
