Shopping for bridesmaids dresses shouldn't be an afterthought! You want to make sure your besties look just as stunning walking alongside you down the aisle. Sometimes bridesmaids dress shopping can feel almost as overwhelming as purchasing the wedding dress itself—factoring in everyone’s different style preferences, budgets, and body types. To help guide you through this challenging process, we’ve put together the ultimate timeline to ensure purchasing your bridesmaids dresses isn’t so stressful.
8 Months Before the Wedding
At nine months you’ve presumably chosen your wedding gown, which makes starting the bridesmaids dress shopping convo the obvious next step eight months before the big day. Now that you have the perfect dress, you can decide on bridal party styles and colors that will complement your look. During this time you’ll also want to make it clear who will be choosing their dresses. As the bride, will you be offering guidance on what to look for or will you be passing options along to your ‘maids? Will they be looking for different styles or even mismatched bridesmaid dresses, or should everyone rock the same dress style and bridesmaid dress color?
Before heading out to try on different dress options or scouring for bridesmaids dresses online, be sure to have your bridesmaids measured. Knowing their correct measurements, including bust, width, and length will ensure they have the perfect fitted dress. If you or they opt to purchase their dress online, this will be especially helpful to avoid any back n’ forth with exchanges. This is also the time to start thinking about exploring our collection of rehearsal dinner dresses for the bride to find the perfect outfit for your pre-wedding celebration!
6 Months Before the Wedding
Ideally, bridesmaids dress orders should be placed six months before the wedding to account for their first fitting and any alterations. Once you’ve decided which dress your bridesmaids will be wearing, give them the thumbs up to go ahead and order their dress. Now that the bridesmaids dresses have been purchased, it’s a good idea to pick out any bridesmaids accessories or shoes they’ll be wearing.
3 Months Before the Wedding
Unlike wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses aren’t usually made-to-measure. Since the dress won’t be a perfect fit, it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with a seamstress. This will guarantee each bridesmaid’s dress fits properly to their body type–whether it be altering the length or taking the gown in at the waist. However, be sure to allot about two to three weeks for alterations, plus a couple of additional weeks if more alterations are needed after the fitting.
1-2 Months Before the Wedding
Now that the bridal party dresses have been altered, it’s time to schedule the final fitting at least three to five weeks before the wedding in case any minor alterations are needed. If everything fits your liking, it’s time to take the dress home! Definitely be sure to keep the gown in a safe place until the wedding day. We suggest keeping the gown in a breathable garment bag away from anything that could possibly cause damage.
Perfecting your bridal party look can be a challenging task, but it’s also exciting and fun! Finding a bridesmaids dress that pleases every one of your girls can feel like a tall order. Luckily, in addition to cute women's clothing, Show Me Your Mumu offers an online showroom where you can plan your bridal party lineup and invite your ‘maids to browse. Or schedule an appointment at our Venice Showroom where you and your girls can view our beautiful selection in person!