When Should My Wedding Dress Be Ready?

When Should My Wedding Dress Be Ready?

I love it when I hear from a bride who is wanting some answers.  I won't reveal the identity of anyone in my newsletter who asks a question.  A bride contacted me through my website wondering if I could tell her when her dress should be ready.

The best way to answer that is to make sure it is one of the first things you do in conjunction with finding a venue.  You want a dress that you will be comfortable in.  You might ask yourself some basic questions such as:

~  Do I want to walk down 2 flights of stairs in a mermaid-style dress?

~  Ask to look for dresses that are best for the weather conditions that are most likely for your wedding day.

~  Are you going to be outdoors or indoors?  If you are going to be indoors, does it have adequate heating or cooling?

~ What is your major concern when finding a dress?  Is it budget, style, or is it important that you are eco-friendly such as a previously owned or renting a dress.

I've heard some people recommend 9-12 months prior to the wedding to be the best amount of time.  Truth be told, most brides have been picturing their wedding dress for years.  If it has to be ordered you might very well take up all of the 9 months getting the dress made.  On the other end of the calendar you want to give an alterations person plenty of time, especially if they are busy during the peak wedding season. Seamstresses also do other projects such as proms, homecomings, anniversaries.  I always recommend that a bride buys her dress that she plan on getting the dress through the initial alterations pretty soon after buying the dress if the wedding is within a year or less.  Schedule with your alterations person when they would like to see you again.  Expect to have at least one or two check-ins with an alterations person between point A and Point B. I would err on the side of caution and get the dress right away and have a final fitting scheduled ahead of time a month out from your wedding and don't wait to the last minute.  If you have had an increase in your weight, enough to make you change a dress size or make you uncomfortable plus or minus as far as the weight scale is concerned, ASAP comes to my mind!

Some brides strike gold the first time out shopping for a dress, others are either plagued with indecision or too many opinions being thrown at them.  Only take 1-2 people with you shopping for a wedding gown and always remind yourself that IT IS YOUR WEDDING.  That doesn't mean spending tons of money is appropriate if you are considering your's or your parent's budgets.

Wishing You the Greatest of Days!

Greatest of Days was nominated for the 2011 and 2012 Best Wedding Planner in the King 5 Best of Western Washington Contest.  

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Helping Brides Plan Weddings Without Stress.: You Might Be A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Lik...

Helping Brides Plan Weddings Without Stress.: You Might Be A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Lik...: You Know You're A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Like All of These! Project Manager General Contractor Artistic/Creative Director ...

You Might Be A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Like All of These!

You Know You're A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Like All of These!

1. Project Manager
2. General Contractor
3. Artistic/Creative Director
4. Interior Designer
5. Floral Designer
6. Clothing Designer
7. Accountant
8. Taster
9. Counselor
10. Musical Director
11. Mediator
12. Real Estate Agent
13. Buyer
14. Tour Guide
15. Firefighter 
16. Troubleshooter
17. Nurse
18. Seamstress
19. Teacher
20. Rabbit Herder of the people variety
21. Public Relations
22. Custodian
23. Inspector
24. Babysitter
25. Petsitter 
26. A luggage rack
27. Stevedore
28. Law Enforcement
29. Author (blurbs to blogs)
30. Choreographer

Wishing you the Greatest of Days!

Greatest of Days was nominated in 2011 and 2012 for Best Wedding Planner in the King 5 Best of Western Washington Contest

A Must-Read if You Are Shopping for A Wedding Dress!

If you are newly engaged and will be shopping for a wedding dress, read this if you read nothing else.

Now and then I'll find an article online that really hits the nail on the head!  One that is straight to the point and packed with good information.  If you haven't read the Greatest of Days' Newsletter, (Wedding & Event Dialogue), you'll find out now and a few more times how strongly I feel about shopping for wedding dresses.  It's a very personal decision that is not like any other decision you will make.  Not to put any pressure on you, but it is the most photographed dress you will ever wear.  That's enough to think about, but please read this article that gives wonderful tips that make the difference of it being a bad experience vs. a good experience when shopping for your wedding dress.  It's from the Huffington Post by Renee Strauss if you want to read the article "The Five Qualities Your Gown Shopping Buddy Must Have". http://www.huffingtonpost.com/renee-strauss/wedding-dress-shopping-buddy_b_2012265.html  The Huffington Post Wedding section in the Lifestyle category often has some very relevant information regarding weddings.

Wishing you the Greatest of Days!

Greatest of Days was nominated in 2011 and 2012 for Best Wedding Planner in the King 5 Best of Western Washington Contest

Engaged! Now What!

Let Me See Your Ring!  Good job!  Then What?  

The Chicken or the  Egg Syndrome!

There's no denying that this is first phase of being engaged.  What's next?

These are the top 3 things that come next not particularly in this order.


1.  Choosing the date.

2.  Buying a wedding dress.

3.  Finding a venue.


1.  When you should choose the date first?  

In most cases, this is the first thing you want to decide upon.  You won't get far with planning a wedding as you visit vendors if you don't know what the date is if you need their services. 

      When you should not choose the date first? 

If you have your heart set on a popular venue, you might be at the mercy of whatever days they have available for your wedding.

2.  When you should choose your wedding gown first.

If you don't have much time until your wedding, you want to make sure that you get your gown with enough time for it to be designed, ordered or altered.  Until you begin shopping, you might not know which one of these will be your experience.  Sometimes, custom-made gowns cost less than off-the-rack or specially ordered gowns.

      When you should not choose your wedding gown first.

If you aren't sure if you are getting married on the beach, in the winter or the middle of summer, in a large venue or in a living room, you might end up being unnecessarily miserable on the day of your wedding. For example, you probably wouldn't want a cathedral train to drag through the sand.  You would feel like you couldn't even turn around in a small space if you had a dress with a skirt that was 6' in diameter.  If you are getting married on what might be the hottest day of the year, you might want to choose a gown made with fabric that isn't so heavy but made of fabric that breathes or doesn't have as many layers.

3.   When you should choose your venue first.

If you are limited to an area, type of space such as on the beach, by the water or any place that is very popular, you want to beat the crowds!  Weddings usually take place within a short period of time depending upon the climate.  Many people want an outdoor wedding in the summer, but not so if you live in Las Vegas or other extremely hot area.

       When you should not choose your venue first.

If you aren't sure of your wedding date, don't choose what will more than likely be your largest or second largest expense (except perhaps the wedding gown) for your wedding and reception.  Catering and the venue will combine to be about half of you wedding budget or more.

Greatest of Days
Wedding & Event Planning & Design

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