Wedding dress shopping can be a thrilling and equally challenging experience. You make one wrong decision, and you might start the buying journey again. So, if you’re losing weight, it helps to find the ideal time to shop for your bridal gown.
The right time to buy a wedding dress if losing weight is six to eight months before the big day. Doing so gives bridal designers and tailors enough time to find the best dress for you and schedule appropriate alterations.
We understand how crucial looking fit as you walk down the aisle so you don’t have to get a dress that hides a tummy is to you. After all, who doesn’t want to have nice thin arms and a slim figure on their wedding day? But you don’t have to wait until you’ve completed your workout routine before the wedding to shop for a bridal gown.
Remember, the dress takes 4-5 months to arrive, followed by 2-3 months for adjustments (read When to Get a Wedding Dress Altered and Fitted). As a result, you’ll need to start looking for your bridal gown while on your weight loss journey.
We strongly recommend buying a dress that fits your present body if you expect to drop 5–20 pounds. That way, you’ll have plenty of time to take it in.
If you aim to drop 40 to 50 pounds, it may be good not to buy the dress until you have a better sense of your new body shape. Because the schedule will be tight, you may have fewer possibilities for alterations. Check out our wedding dress fitting etiquette.
What Happens If You Lose Weight After Buying a Wedding Dress?
It’s not a problem if you plan on reducing weight after you’ve bought your dress. And even if you lose weight without trying (it does sometimes happen due to wedding stress), there will still be enough time to make the necessary alterations to make the bridal gown fit.
To be abundantly clear, it’s not given how much weight you should or shouldn’t lose in the months leading up to your wedding. Even if it’s only a question of toning up, many brides want to look their best when they tie the knot.
For what it’s worth, a new fitness plan will alter your body shape, even if you don’t lose weight immediately. So when it comes to weight reduction, talk to your wedding gown designer about your objectives, and they’ll see how they can help.
Trying on New Bridal Gowns When Losing Weight
Your bridal designer and their staff might not take your exact measurements during your first meeting. Instead, they’ll talk to you about your preferred bridal gown styles and allow you to try on as many gowns as you like (by the way, can you try dresses on for fun?).
You don’t have to worry about the gown fitting you perfectly at this stage. The designers, particularly the tailors, will alter and pin the samples to your shape.
Bridal designers will schedule additional meetings to take your measurements if you’re losing weight. By working with your measurements, sewists can get you an appropriate fit. So, you don’t have to worry that the dress will turn out too big or small.
Can I Wear a Bespoke Wedding Dress If Losing Weight?
You can wear a bespoke wedding dress even if you’re losing weight. A dress is unique to every bride, so professionals tailor them from scratch based on clients’ specifications and measurements.
Usually, the only difference between a bespoke design and a made-to-measure dress is an extra silk fitting and an additional design consultation session.
It’s essential to be realistic about how much weight you can lose between your initial consultation and measurement appointment, like with made-to-measure gowns. Doing so helps your bridal designer develop a consistent pattern and design based on your dimensions and specifications.
Can I Wear a Standard Size Wedding Dress if Losing Weight?
You can buy and wear a standard wedding dress on your wedding day even if you’re losing weight.
Bridal gowns designed to standard dress sizes give you more flexibility, especially if you have a shorter timeframe and a tightly defined budget. Bridal designers often alter these designs to the nearest standard sizes because ready-to-wear wedding dresses require fewer tweaks.
Wedding dress designers can extend your measuring session by a few weeks or even months to fit your weight-loss ambitions if there is enough time between picking your dress and tying the knot.
When you work with a knowledgeable and talented tailor, you can get the standard-size wedding dress altered and fitted just right for your body type, regardless of where you’re on your weight loss journey.
The right time to buy a standard-size wedding dress if you’re losing weight is three to four months before your big day. Remember, modifications may take up to six weeks, depending on how much weight you intend to lose. If you lose weight beyond 3 to 4 months before the wedding, schedule an appointment with a bridal tailor, and have them alter the dress to fit your body shape.
Can I Wear Made to Measure Wedding Dresses if Losing Weight?
You can wear made-to-measure wedding dresses if you lose weight because your tailor can alter the dress to fit your new body’s size.
Made-to-measure bridal gowns are made from a current collection and then tailored to the bride’s specific measurements and preferences. You have to discuss and agree with your bridal designer on a reasonable timeline for picking a bridal gown and getting measurements to have a realistic timeframe to work on the dress.
Try to attain your target weight before your measurement appointment because made-to-measure wedding gowns require alterations to fit you well. Allowing the designers to have your measurements sooner makes it easy for them to maintain a pattern and design that’s consistent for you.
The designer can also modify the dress at the toile fitting if you need a little more time or if you lose weight without intending to do so.
The best time to alter a made-to-measure wedding dress is 3 to 5 months before the wedding day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my wedding dress fit if I lose weight?
If you are planning to lose 5 – 20 pounds, buy a dress that fits your current body. You will have to hire a tailor to take it in for you closer to the wedding, but this is relatively simple when we are only talking about a 5 – 20 pound difference in weight.
How long before your wedding should you have your first dress fitting?
Your first dress fitting will happen 5 or 6 weeks before your wedding. You will need to make sure that by this point you have chosen your underwear and your shoes because your dress will be altered around these.
How much weight do brides lose before the wedding?
According to CDC, a healthy pace is to lose at most 1-2 pounds per week. Most brides start to watch their diets about 4 months before the wedding which suggests that a realistic goal is to lose about 16 pounds before you have to put on your wedding gown. Anything more would most probably be better than average!
When should you stop losing weight before the wedding?
It’s usually when you have your last dress fitting which is 2 – 3 weeks before the wedding.
Try to not lose any more weight between then and the big day. Your seamstress will likely tell you this as well. Embrace this final fitting as the next time you see yourself in the dress will be surrounded by those that you love on your big day.
What if I lose too much weight for my wedding dress?
Make your concerns known to your seamstress, and discuss a timeline for fittings that works for both of you. You should aim to have your last dress fitting as close to your wedding as possible, and you might even ask if someone will be available the day of in case there’s a problem.
Conclusion
Every person’s weight loss journey differs. So, there’s no concrete timeline on when to buy a wedding dress if losing weight. However, we strongly recommend buying your bridal gown six to eight months before your big day. By doing so, you will have enough time to make the necessary alterations and end up with a dress that fits you well.