When to Buy a Wedding Dress if You're Losing Weight

Shopping for your wedding dress is one of the most fun and exciting parts of planning a wedding. But if you are well into your weight loss journey, but not quite at the end, shopping for a dress or bridal gowns can be a challenge.

First of all congratulations! Congratulations on your engagement, and congratulations on the hard work and dedication it took to start losing weight and to stick to your plan!

You probably have some questions:

How on earth do I shop for a dress while I am still losing weight?
Should I buy a dress now and get it tailored?
Should I wait until I've reached my goal weight to even try on wedding dresses?

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

When to Buy a Wedding Dress if You’re Losing Weight

If you are actively losing weight while planning your wedding and dress shopping, here are some general rules to help guide you.

The amount of weight you plan or expect to lose before the wedding is the real deciding factor here. I have broken it into three brackets to make it easy.

5-20 POUNDS TO GO

You don’t want to wait too long to find a dress. After all, it might take a few different shopping trips to find the perfect bridal gowns. Not to mention what you are trying on in the bridal shops is likely a sample dress, and the real dress will need to be ordered from the designer, which can take some time.

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.

20- 40 POUNDS TO GO

In my opinion, this is the trickiest category, and it depends largely on how much time you have between now and your wedding. If you are planning to lose 20 – 40 pounds and your wedding is still a year away, it is smart to wait until you are down to 20 pounds or less to lose.

Remember that it takes time to get the dress once you order it, and it can take several weeks to have any necessary alterations done, so don’t wait too long. In general I would recommend ordering your dress about 8 or 9 months before the wedding to ensure it arrives and is altered in time for your big day

40+ POUNDS TO GO

If you are planning to lose 40 – 50+ pounds, 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 easier to tailor when it comes to adjustments.

Wedding Dress Shopping 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. Start browsing and shopping for dress styles you like. Your body shape will not change much, even as you lose weight. Try on dresses in your current size to see if you like the dress style. This is the fun part!

8 - 9 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Buy your wedding dress! Remember, it can take a while for your bridal gowns to arrive once ordered, and you will need time for it to be altered after it arrives, especially once you stop losing weight.

Here is an example of what you can look for:

By TheKnot

5 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Shop for your undergarments (if desired!). E.g. Strapless bra, Body-slimming shaper. Make sure to consider the cut of your dress so that your undergarments are completely covered.

3 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

The first wedding dress fitting will happen at least by this point. Bring your undergarments and shoes with you. 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.

6 – 8 WEEKS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Have additional dress fittings during this time. Your seamstress will want to know how much weight you have lost between the first fitting and now.

2 – 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Your final wedding dress fitting will happen here. Try to stop losing weight between now and the big day. Your seamstress will likely tell you this as well.

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

What To Wear When Trying On Wedding Dresses?

Wondering what to wear to a wedding dress fitting? When trying on bridal gowns, it's important to wear clothes that are easy to get on and off. Underneath, you’ll also want to be sure you’re sporting nude-colored undergarments along with a sturdy pair of heels (or comfy flats) – depending on what your bridal gown plans are for when you’re walking down the aisle.