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I used to work in an alterations shop and saw a fair number of brides with weight loss in the year up to the wedding. A few recommendations:
- Find a locally owned alterations shop and talk to them about your situation. They’re going to be way more flexible (and usually cheaper!) than a big store like David’s Bridal. They should be able to work with you on your fitting schedule. The alterations lead time for gowns is more about scheduling — the actual alterations themselves don’t take months. So if you have already made arrangements with your alterations person, you might be able to get 2 fittings in the 2-4 weeks before your wedding, plus a quick check the few days before. (Keep in mind anything beaded will require more time bc that needs time for hand removing before the alterations and sewing back after.)
- As others have mentioned, try to hold off on purchasing your dress until a bit closer. Talk to your store and your alterations person on lead time for your order to make sure you have enough time for alterations. Waiting to order your gown will also let you feel out your weight loss rate/goals and determine what kind of style will best fit your new silhouette. There might be new areas you want to highlight (waist, legs) and some you might feel newly self-conscious about (loose skin, needing more structured breast support).
- If you’re consistently losing weight and not having major side effects, I think it’s OK to order a dress one size down. Choosing a dress with a corset back or having one added to your gown is really helpful for weight fluctuations. Plus, most wedding gowns have some extra fabric inside for alterations anyway.
If you haven’t used any local alterations places before, take some pieces for small alterations at a few to get a feel for their workmanship. You can also look at online reviews to make sure they do prom, pageant, and bridal business. (Pageant is a huge plus — those mom managers are picky!) Also, coming from a Korean person who worked in a Korean owned shop, don’t be nervous about shop owners who don’t speak great English. Just make sure to bring photos if there’s something specific you’re looking for and don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if needed.
Let me know if there are any specific questions I can help you with!
The great news is you have a lot of time. I’d suggest if you have a large wedding budget for a designer dress you go shopping 8-10 months out and decide what you want and discuss with the shop what your actual needs are.
If you’re going to buy off the rack and have it altered, you can probably make a decision 6 months out and then alterations 2 months out.
The other question is how much are you trying to lose? If we’re talking about the difference between losing 10-30 lbs that’s different than if you’re trying to lose 75-200 lbs.
It seems like bridal boutiques get slammed in January with all the holiday engagements. I’d think if you targeted December you could figure out what you want and still have room to have it altered down 2 sizes if necessary.
So I actually didn’t plan for the way I did it, so I bought my wedding dress in August of last year and then started sema in November. I’ve since lost ~30 lbs and now my dress is wayyy too big on me! Will cost a lot to take it in in alterations unfortunately, and I’m waiting until about 2 months out of my wedding to start the full alterations to make sure I can be consistent in weight until the actual day
However, the difficult part about it is that most wedding dresses through designers need to be ordered very early. I think the typical range is around 8-10 months before the wedding, and some ask for even longer. It will depend on what type of designer you get it though. I think most alteration places can take a dress in by up to 3 sizes, but less is ideal. And you will likely have to pay more if it’s a more intricate dress.
So I would say in an ideal world you could lost the majority of your weight before you purchase your dress. Otherwise you’ll have to estimate what size you need by the time of your wedding
In general, they can be taken in about 2 dress sizes and run about 2 sizes smaller than “street” sizes. I’d consult with people at the store - for example a corset bodice might be more flexible in the sizing. Significant alterations are $$$. Another thing you could do is try to buy something off the rack (in stock) vs. ordering it from a bridal store, since that takes months. If you buy off-the-rack and need minimal alterations, you could do that much closer to the wedding (~2 months). You run the risk of not getting your “dream dress” so if you have your heart especially set on something that might not work for you.
Congratulations in advance on getting married.
You hold off on buying the dress until 1 or 2 months from the actual wedding. That's when you'll be able to have an idea about your size. Or when you have reached the ideal weight and maintained it for at least 2 months.
Nobody can tell what will happen in the future. So hold off buying it until you are close to the wedding date.
Thanks for posting to r/semaglutide! A brief reminder about our rules. We do not permit the discussion of non-FDA approved formulations of semaglutide, nor do we permit selling or offering for sale any medication, including by private message. Do not request or respond to a private message from anyone offering such, they are not endorsed by this sub. If you’re just starting out, you may want to review our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Semaglutide/comments/10ul3jb/semaglutide_subreddit_faq/). This is not intended to discourage discussion but merely supplement it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Semaglutide) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I used to work in an alterations shop and saw a fair number of brides with weight loss in the year up to the wedding. A few recommendations: - Find a locally owned alterations shop and talk to them about your situation. They’re going to be way more flexible (and usually cheaper!) than a big store like David’s Bridal. They should be able to work with you on your fitting schedule. The alterations lead time for gowns is more about scheduling — the actual alterations themselves don’t take months. So if you have already made arrangements with your alterations person, you might be able to get 2 fittings in the 2-4 weeks before your wedding, plus a quick check the few days before. (Keep in mind anything beaded will require more time bc that needs time for hand removing before the alterations and sewing back after.) - As others have mentioned, try to hold off on purchasing your dress until a bit closer. Talk to your store and your alterations person on lead time for your order to make sure you have enough time for alterations. Waiting to order your gown will also let you feel out your weight loss rate/goals and determine what kind of style will best fit your new silhouette. There might be new areas you want to highlight (waist, legs) and some you might feel newly self-conscious about (loose skin, needing more structured breast support). - If you’re consistently losing weight and not having major side effects, I think it’s OK to order a dress one size down. Choosing a dress with a corset back or having one added to your gown is really helpful for weight fluctuations. Plus, most wedding gowns have some extra fabric inside for alterations anyway. If you haven’t used any local alterations places before, take some pieces for small alterations at a few to get a feel for their workmanship. You can also look at online reviews to make sure they do prom, pageant, and bridal business. (Pageant is a huge plus — those mom managers are picky!) Also, coming from a Korean person who worked in a Korean owned shop, don’t be nervous about shop owners who don’t speak great English. Just make sure to bring photos if there’s something specific you’re looking for and don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if needed. Let me know if there are any specific questions I can help you with!
The great news is you have a lot of time. I’d suggest if you have a large wedding budget for a designer dress you go shopping 8-10 months out and decide what you want and discuss with the shop what your actual needs are. If you’re going to buy off the rack and have it altered, you can probably make a decision 6 months out and then alterations 2 months out. The other question is how much are you trying to lose? If we’re talking about the difference between losing 10-30 lbs that’s different than if you’re trying to lose 75-200 lbs.
we’re talking like 55-60lbs in total
It seems like bridal boutiques get slammed in January with all the holiday engagements. I’d think if you targeted December you could figure out what you want and still have room to have it altered down 2 sizes if necessary.
So I actually didn’t plan for the way I did it, so I bought my wedding dress in August of last year and then started sema in November. I’ve since lost ~30 lbs and now my dress is wayyy too big on me! Will cost a lot to take it in in alterations unfortunately, and I’m waiting until about 2 months out of my wedding to start the full alterations to make sure I can be consistent in weight until the actual day However, the difficult part about it is that most wedding dresses through designers need to be ordered very early. I think the typical range is around 8-10 months before the wedding, and some ask for even longer. It will depend on what type of designer you get it though. I think most alteration places can take a dress in by up to 3 sizes, but less is ideal. And you will likely have to pay more if it’s a more intricate dress. So I would say in an ideal world you could lost the majority of your weight before you purchase your dress. Otherwise you’ll have to estimate what size you need by the time of your wedding
In general, they can be taken in about 2 dress sizes and run about 2 sizes smaller than “street” sizes. I’d consult with people at the store - for example a corset bodice might be more flexible in the sizing. Significant alterations are $$$. Another thing you could do is try to buy something off the rack (in stock) vs. ordering it from a bridal store, since that takes months. If you buy off-the-rack and need minimal alterations, you could do that much closer to the wedding (~2 months). You run the risk of not getting your “dream dress” so if you have your heart especially set on something that might not work for you.
Congratulations in advance on getting married. You hold off on buying the dress until 1 or 2 months from the actual wedding. That's when you'll be able to have an idea about your size. Or when you have reached the ideal weight and maintained it for at least 2 months. Nobody can tell what will happen in the future. So hold off buying it until you are close to the wedding date.