Planning your wedding is an exciting time. And one of the most special aspects is getting your wedding gown sorted. Wedding dress shopping is such a fun and emotional thing. When we think of weddings, one of the first things that pops up in our mind is a wedding dress. Going to bridal boutiques and trying on a variety of dresses to find your perfect bridal gown is a wonderful experience to share with your friends or family members or the bridal party, to share with them the special moment of picking your dream wedding dress that fits you perfectly. It’s definitely something you’ll always remember. Realizing you’ve found your dream dress is such a special moment. But then what happens?

Well, if you’re having a dress made for you, there will often be gown alterations in the months before the wedding. This is very important, because it ensures that the dress is the perfect fit for you, not just for a standard dress size, and that you’re completely happy with the dress that you’ll be walking in down the aisle. We all are slightly different shapes and sizes, so the alterations process will ensure that the dress you wear on your wedding day fits perfectly, and that you are 100% happy and confident when you’re walking down the aisle.

Even if you’re buying a dress off the rack, you’ll want to have it tailored to you. This will ensure the perfect fit for your body. Not many people are a single dress size all over, with various skinny parts, additional muscle or a bit of softness in certain places. We’re all different shapes and sizes so embrace that and get your dress to fit your body, rather than making your body fit into a certain shaped dress. It will take so much pressure off of finding your dream wedding dress that fits perfectly, since you won’t need to stress about finding a dress that fits perfectly right away, you can focus on the style, and tailor it to your body later.

For your wedding dress fitting appointments, there are a few things you should know, so I want to share some tips!

Tips For Your Wedding Dress Fitting

How Many Wedding Dress Fittings?

How many fitting appointments you have really depends on how long before the wedding you select a dress and how much your body changes in that time frame. Many brides look to dramatically change their bodies in the lead-up to their weddings. If this is you, you will need to ensure that you have fittings in the weeks before your wedding. I would recommend at least one fitting as part of your wedding planning. Or up to three if your body is changing a lot. That’s because the tailor can’t predict how fast and how much your body will be changing, so the extra fittings will ensure that your dream wedding dress is following your body changes and is perfect for you.

When to Schedule Wedding Dress Fittings?

I generally recommend heading to a wedding dress fitting 6-8 weeks before your wedding. That should give you plenty of time to decide without being rushed. Take your maid of honor (or a family member you’re the closes to) to make a day of it and also to get a second opinion. If you’ve been planning on losing weight for your wedding, you’ll be able to see how much progress you’re making and how much more you’re likely to make. Then your dressmaker will have enough time to make the alterations to ensure a proper fit, so your dream wedding dress is ready for you to walk down the aisle in it. Book the final fitting approximately four weeks before your wedding for last-minute tweaks, and then try to maintain your body's size and shape through to the wedding. Don’t leave the fittings for the last moment, especially not the last one, because you want to be sure that in case of any emergency, or in case something unexpected happens, you’ll still have your dream wedding dress in time to walk down the aisle in it.

Getting Your Underwear Sorted

Will you be wearing special underwear on your big day? Will you be wearing form-fitting, smooth underwear or lacy pieces? What happens under your dress will affect how the dress sits against you. Also, it’s so important to ensure you’re wearing the correct size bra. Getting measured and properly fitted for the underwear that you want to wear will ensure it fits you well and will help your dress to fit you well. Nothing worse than seeing under through a dress or poking out around the edges! This is especially important for dresses that are tighter and closer to your body - you don’t want your underwear to show beneath your dress. If you're not sure which underwear is the right one for your wedding dress, buy a few options, and try them out with the dress.

Getting Your Shoes Sorted

Bridal shoes and undergarments might be low on the list of things to lock in early, but these do contribute so much to how your dress works! Making a decision about what wedding shoes you plan to wear will help your dressmaker immensely. It will help them ensure the dress is the correct length for your heel height. If you’re wearing flats or six-inch stilettos will dramatically change how long your dress needs to be. Get your bridal shoes sorted once you’ve selected your dress so that they can be incorporated into your wedding dress alterations. If your dress has a slit, or it’s shorter, and your bridal shoes are visible, pay extra attention to them. Even though they’re not as huge, visible, and important as your wedding dress, they are definitely important and will definitely help you bring your whole bridal look together.