When should you start wedding dress shopping?

A month-by-month timeline

• —9–12 months before — start trying on dresses and narrow down your silhouette and style.
• —8–10 months before — order your gown if you're having one made in your size (at Lichée Bridal, special orders take roughly 14–20 weeks).
• —3–6 months before — the ideal window to reserve a rental gown or buy one off the rack.
• —8–12 weeks before — first alteration fitting.
• —4–6 weeks before — second fitting.
• —1–2 weeks before — final fitting, then the dress is ready.

Renting gives you a shorter runway

A rental gown already exists, so you skip the production wait. Reserving three to six months ahead secures the dress for your date and leaves comfortable time for fittings. At Lichée Bridal, high-quality designer gowns rent for $500 to $1,200, with alterations and standard cleaning included.

Short on time?

If your wedding is weeks away, focus on dresses that are ready now — rentals and pieces in the studio — and tell the boutique your date when you book, so fittings can be planned back from it. Avoid falling in love with a gown that has to be ordered.

Don't start too early

Shopping more than about 15 months out can backfire: new collections arrive, your vision and venue may change, and it's hard to plan fittings. Start when your date and venue are set.