Buying a Wedding Dress When You're Losing Weight

Many brides have a goal to lose weight before the big day. You know that you are going to have a lot of photos taken to immortalize the moment. So you will generally want to be looking your absolute best. This can be your moment of motivation to make that weight loss plan a reality. When you’re wedding dress shopping, a big question arises then around the dress.

Should I buy a dress now and get it tailored?

Should I wait until I've lost weight to even try on wedding dresses?

Check out my timeline below to see at what point in your wedding planning that you should buy your dress, and when to get it tailored to your new & fab body.

When To Buy Wedding Dress If You're Losing Weight

Here are some general rules of thumb to keep in mind:

5-20 pounds to go

If you are planning to lose 5 – 20 pounds, buy a dress that fits your current body; you will have plenty of time for it to get taken in. Discuss with the team at the bridal shop to ensure the dress you’ve chosen is suitable to get taken in as you need. It will depend on where you lose weight from, how your body composition of muscle and fat shifts and how much you actually end up losing how the dress will fit you in the end but I good bridal store will be able to support you on this journey.

40+ pounds to go

If your goal weight is 40 – 50+ pounds lighter than you are now, it may be a good idea to wait a bit to buy your dress so that you can choose one that fits your new body shape. It is possible you may have more limited options since the timing will be a bit tight.

Regardless of how much weight you want to lose, it can be a good idea to choose a corset back dress, as it'll be a lot easier to tailor when it comes to adjustments.

Wedding Dress Timeline if You're Losing Weight

Here are some good resources about finding a dress based on your body type:

Choose a dress that's best for your body type by TheKnot
Interactive guide to choosing a dress, also by TheKnot!
Body type guide by Bridal Guide

1 Year Before Your Wedding Date

Pick a Silhouette (shape) for your dress. It generally takes 16 to 20 weeks for the dress to arrive. You’ll often be trying on sample dresses at this stage so they won’t be fitting your shape or size perfectly. It’s more about picking the shape of the dress and style that you want.

8 – 9 Months Before the Wedding

o set a budget, so you know what wedding dresses to look at, and what bridal boutiques to visit, as some might be out of your price range, so you don’t want to waste your time by going there. Here is my favorite resource you should check out:

By TheKnot

5 Months Before the Wedding

Shop forShop for your undergarments (if desired!). E.g. Strapless bra, Body-slimming shaper. It might not seem like much, but the way your undergarments fit you can alter your body shape or be visible through delicate fabrics. Getting your undergarments early so you can try them on under your dress as you get fittings done is a great idea to ensure there are no last-minute surprises.

3 Months Before the Wedding

The first wedding dress fitting will happen at least by this point. Bring your undergarments and shoes with you. Choose whether you’ll go with some family members, your bridesmaid, or someone else, to help you look at all of those gorgeous bridal gowns. The largest dress alterations happen here, so you ideally want to lose much of the desired weight by this point. Tell the seamstress about your weight loss goals for the next 3 months, so she knows to take your weight loss journey into consideration.

6 – 8 Weeks Before the Wedding

Additional wedding dress fittings will occur during this time. It will depend on your seamstress and the style of dress how many fittings you need, and on the wedding dress alterations process.

2 – 3 Weeks Before the Wedding

Your final wedding dress fitting will happen here. Try to not lose any more weight between now 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, whether that’s your bridesmaid, your family members, or someone else. Getting married is a special time but it can feel very rushed as you move from planning on thing to the next. Make sure you stop and take stock as you reach special milestones like finalizing your dream wedding dress.

Remember, there is no pressure to lose weight for your wedding. You might see photos of skinny brides but that doesn’t mean that you need to look like them. You are BEAUTIFUL and no matter what, you will look amazing on your wedding day. It’s about feeling comfortable in your skin and embracing the beautiful body you have. Enjoy the love!

Remember, you are BEAUTIFUL and no matter what, you will look amazing on your wedding day. Enjoy the love!