Hi everyone. My name is Jennifer and I rejoined WW this past week at a starting weight of 225.2 lbs. I am a 4th grade teacher and am 27 years old. I am getting married on January 5th, 2002 and would like to reach my wedding day goal of 160 lbs (my final goal is around 140).
I am in need of advice from any past brides here regarding ordering a wedding dress. I was told that I need to order my wedding dress 6 months in advance of the wedding. I am currently a size 20. Now, I am absolutely 100% committed to reaching my wedding day goal of 160 lbs. and I do not plan to wear my current size come January.
However, do you all recommend that I go ahead and order my current size dress (20) and have it altered as the wedding date draws near, or should I order a smaller size (one that I don't even fit in right now - maybe an 18 or a 16) and have it altered accordingly as the wedding date approaches? In other words, would altering a smaller sized dress (a 16 or an 18) to say, a size 14, make for a better result than trying to alter a size 20 dress down to a 14?
I would appreciate any advice you can give me! THANK YOU!!!
Hi Jennifer -
First of all, congratulations! I hope you thoroughly enjoy your wedding planning!
Now, keep in mind that I'm not a seamstress or anything, but in my (very humble) opinion, the answer to your question is going to depend greatly on your dress and how it's made. If it is constructed of long panels without a distinct waistline, and/or it is heavily encrusted with beads/sequins and whatnot, it is going to be harder to alter than a simpler dress with a sewn-in waistline and tucks/gathers along the skirt. Of course, a simply-constructed sheath style gown can be made smaller by taking in seams, but a lot of people don't like to take them in TOO much. Some gowns may also be more easily made LARGER if necessary by adding extra strips or panels of fabric in inconspicous places. I think it depends on the pattern and the skill of your seamstress. Your best bet is to make sure that the person who will be altering your dress - whether it's the bridal shop employee, or someone you've chosen, is actually there to consult and advise you when you order the dress.
I'm sorry if I've just confused you further! If there's nothing else in this post that's helpful, at least make sure you discuss any alterations with your seamstress before ordering your gown. May you look and feel like a princess in it!
Talk to the salesperson. That six month time frame is their optimal wish. Depending on the dress you select, you may be able to get it much sooner than six months. For my first wedding, I didn't order my dress until 3 months before the wedding, and there was no problem with delivery or alterations.
Oh, and just so you aren't shocked, wedding gowns are made small. If you're currently wearing a 20 in your regular clothes, you'll probably have to order one or two sizes larger for a wedding gown.
My dress was actually in the store in about 6 weeks. Then I went through about 3-4 fittings with about 2 weeks inbetween. It takes time to get it to fit right and to make the changes. But chosing a size really does depend on the cut of the dress. Can it be easily altered. Don't bank on the fact that you will be at goal, because something may happen that you aren't, or the size you think you will be really isn't. Wedding dresses run normally about a size larger than normal. Check with the seamstress at the store about what she can do with altering and explain your situation. I wish you luck!
Congrats!! You have picked a wonderful day to marry! It is my birthday!!
As far as dresses.....I wouldn't order a smaller size just for the fact you could be setting yourself up for disaster. (not that you won't meet your goal) Wedding dresses are so expensive!! When I ordered my dress it arrived in 8 weeks, so I think wait a little while, but not too long. The best thing would be to ask if your dress is a quick ship dress or if it is special made. I'm sure you won't be the first bride asking about weight loss.
Also......I'm not sure if you have started looking yet but I wanted to warn you. WEDDING DRESSES ARE MARKED SMALL!! Had I not known this before going in to order mine I would have bawled. I wore a size 20 also when I got married, but my wedding dress was a size 24. Thankfully the place I went didn't make me feel embarressed at all.
Also......the bridal shop will more than likely only have sizes 10 or 12 to try on ....so don't worry or feel terrible if you can't zip the dress. My best friend who is skinnier than a rail and wears a size 6-8 couldn't zip all the dresses.
Well....good luck on your weight loss. Don't get discouraged but also don't get upset with yourself if all the weight you want to lose doesn't come off. Planning weddings can be a stressful time.
I wanted to invite you to post with our group. I'm not sure if you have been with 3fatchicks for a while or not......We are a small group of girls mainly in our 20's or 30's who post in the support column under Bulge Battling Buddies. We are always looking for new people so if you need someone to talk to come on over!!
Have you thought about having your dress made for you instead of buying it at a store? When I got married last January, I found the most incredible seamstress in the world. She did all my gown alterations and she put it off as long as possible since I was still losing weight. My final fitting was the day before the wedding.
Good luck to you!
Stephanie
I'm with Stephanie. I used a seamstress when I got married, and it was a great decision. A seamstress will let you be much more flexible about your size; you don't have to order the dress 6 months in advance! My seamstress finished mine in about a month. (Actually, it only took her about a week, but then we did fittings.)
Plus you can pick *exactly* the dress you want when it's custom made. I picked mine out of a magazine, and my seamstress just created her own pattern after looking at the picture! It was gorgeous.
I had my wedding dress sone that way and loved the entire experience. It was much less expensive for a much better quality dress. She was able to make it in the few months before the wedding and did a final fitting the week before. I also lost weigh and it worked out wonderful. It all made me so much more happy than the few trips I took to the bridal shops.
Go to a really nice fabric store and ask if they know of a seamstress to recomend. Mine had samples of her work and many pictures of wedding dresses she had made. I took pictures of what I wanted and wnet fabric shopping with her to find just the perfect thing. It was so wonderful...and my dress was one of a kind.
If you go with an ordered dress, I would not order too soon or in a size too off from what you are going to be your wedding day. That can be tricky and very expensive to alter.
WHen I took my daughter gown shopping about 8 months before her wedding, we knew it was just to get an idea of what style suited her. SHe was getting married in an African country so buying here and shipping to there wasn't an option. We took a photo of her in the two gowns we liked the most and when she got a chance to shop in Johannessburg, South AFrica, she found her fabric. Meanwhile, she had found a dressmaker recommended by friends where she worked in Zimbabwe. This lady was a treasure. She didn't even start making the gown until three weeks before the wedding and the finally fitting was three days before the wedding. It fit like a dream.
On the other hand, my older daughter had her gown picked out six months before the wedding and it fit her off the rack with a few minor adjustments. When she went to pick it up the week of the wedding, she had bloated up so much from the hot weather and too much iced tea that we could barely get it done up in the back and she suffered horribly in the August heat on her wedding day.
Best to leave the final fitting until close to the wedding date. The unexpected (and unwanted) can always happen.
Jennifer
If there's nothing else in this post that's helpful, at least make sure you discuss any alterations with your seamstress before ordering your gown. May you look and feel like a princess in it! 
