When to Buy Your Wedding Dress: A Timeline and Delivery Guide
Finding your wedding dress is an exciting part of planning your wedding day and knowing where to start can make the experience much easier and less daunting. We recommend beginning your search 10 – 12 months before your wedding, giving you time to find your ideal wedding dress, explore personalization options, and plan for fittings.
Made-to-order gowns typically arrive at your boutique in 20 – 24 weeks, while many quick delivery styles arrive in as little at 2 – 4 weeks. Whether your wedding is a year away or just around the corner, understanding your options will help you plan with confidence.
When to Start Wedding Dress Shopping
We recommend shopping about 10–12 months before your wedding and placing your order as soon as you find the one. Your boutique manages your order from there, so your gown arrives with comfortable time for fittings.
Why Shopping Early Gives you More Choice
Starting your search early allows you to have more time to find a wedding gown that feels like you. Depending on the style, you may have more opportunities to explore color options, personalize select details, and plan your fittings around your wedding date.
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Explore your options. Have the ability to discover silhouettes, sizes, colors, and learn about lining, illusion tulle and bust cup colors without being limited on time.
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Add personal touches. Some styles offer customizations such as adding or removing a slit, adjusting the glitter layer, or customizing a Justin Alexander or Justin Alexander Signature style.
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Plan with confidence. Allow time for your gown to be crafted, delivered, and fitted before your celebration. When timing allows, we ship by sea rather than air, a more sustainable choice, and we manage every order, so your gown arrives on time.
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Enjoy a more relaxed experience. With your order placed early, you can focus on the finishing touches as your wedding day approaches.
How Your Gown is Made and Delivered
Every gown from Justin Alexander and our family of brands are crafted with considerate design and production processes. From the first stages of gown construction to the final finishing details, each gown is carefully made and inspected before it makes its way to your boutique.
Here’s what happens between placing your order and your final fitting:
Find your dress at a boutique. Try on gowns with a stylist at an authorized boutique.
Get measured and place your order. Your stylist takes your measurements, helps you choose a size and confirms any personal touches.
Your gown is reserved or made. If your style and size are ready, your gown is reserved for you. If not, it is made to order.
Quality check. Each gown is inspected before it leaves us.
Delivered to your boutique. Your boutique lets you know when it arrives.
Fittings and alterations. Your seamstress tailors the gown to you. Alterations usually begin about 2–3 months before your wedding, with a final fitting about 2 weeks before.
Wedding Dress Delivery Times: Standard and Quick Delivery
Your gown reaches you in one of two ways:
Made for You. Made-to-order gowns typically arrive at your boutique 20–24 weeks after you order. This includes alternative colors, such as a different lining, illusion tulle or bust cup color, and other options, and personal touches, such as adding or removing a slit, adjusting the glitter layer or customizing a Justin Alexander or Justin Alexander Signature style.
Ready Sooner. Many of our quick-delivery gowns are crafted ahead in sizes 6–14, and some in sizes 2–20, ready to be reserved the moment you say yes. They typically reach your boutique in 2–4 weeks, the perfect choice for brides on a tighter timeline. Size 0 and curve sizes 22–30 are sometimes in stock or already on order too, and we flag curve styles that may be available sooner, so ask your boutique!
Your boutique can confirm the date for the style you love.
Availability changes often, so your boutique is the best place to check what is in stock for the style you love.
Need it even sooner? Expedited delivery may be available for an additional fee. Your boutique can help you decide whether it makes sense, based on when you order and when your fittings need to begin.
Getting Married Soon? You Still Have Options!
If your wedding is approaching fast, there is no need to assume you’ve missed the window to find your dream wedding dress. Depending on your date and styles available, quick delivery gowns or boutique stock can have just what you are looking for. Your stylist can help you explore what’s possible and plan around the time needed for alterations.
Share your date up front. Tell your stylist your wedding date when you book, so she can show you gowns that can arrive in time.
Ask about quick-delivery gowns. Our quick-delivery gowns can arrive in weeks rather than months. Some boutiques may also have a gown you can take home, so it's worth asking.
Keep alterations in mind. Leave enough time for fittings. Your stylist can help you plan.
Every bride deserves to feel beautiful on her day, whatever her timeline.
How Your Boutique Can Help
Your boutique knows which gowns are in stock, which are on the way and which can be made in time for your date. Stylists work with us every day, so they can give you the most accurate timing for any style.
Ready to start? Find a Justin Alexander boutique near you and book your appointment.
Shopping for another of our brands? Find boutiques for all of our collections below:
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Wedding Dress Timeline FAQs
How far in advance should I buy my wedding dress?
We recommend beginning your wedding dress shopping about 10–12 months before your wedding. This gives you comfortable timeline for your gown to be made, delivered and fitted.
