Get engaged over the holidays? Did your dreamboat prince charming pop the question under the mistletoe, or was it at midnight on New Year’s? However it happened, congratulations! You must be more excited than Rudolf when Santa asked him to lead the sleigh. And if you’re waiting on your ring any day now, this still applies to you too, so keep reading.
Everyone knows that your next step after saying yes to the proposal is to say yes to the dress! Interestingly enough, many people don’t realize how much goes into finding a dress, and how much time it actually takes to get it in your hands, fitting perfectly, and ready to go down the aisle with you on your big day.
Did you know that it can take anywhere from three to eight months to order a wedding dress? Sometimes even longer. That means, if you’re planning your wedding for sometime next spring or summer, it’s time to find your dream dress now! And on top of that, you need to make sure you give yourself enough time to get your dress altered, which can take up to eight weeks or more depending on how complicated your alterations are.
You might be thinking to yourself, “That’s a really long time to make one dress!” And you’d be right, except this isn’t just any dress. All of our gowns are handmade with extreme attention to detail, from the delicate seams and sturdy builds to the individually hand-sewn beading, lace appliques, or any other intricate details on your dream dress. What we’re trying to say is that when it’s a dress as important as your wedding dress, it’s going to take time—perfection isn’t achieved in just one night (except, of course, in the rare case that it is). And, there are hundreds and hundreds of brides ordering dresses every single day.
Speaking of New Year’s…
Chinese New Year begins on February 10, 2024, and extends all the way through March. You may be wondering why this has anything to do with wedding dress shopping; well, it has quite a lot to do with it. Here at Pritchétt, and as is the case for many other dress stores around the world, some of our designer dresses and fabulous fabrics are manufactured in China. Due to the holiday, everything is shut down and production is halted for a whole month! (Can we celebrate our holidays that way too?)
What does that mean for you? It means another month is added to ship times, making it even longer than usual to order any dress or fabric if the designer manufactures in China. Three to eight months turns into four to nine months.
That’s why it’s important to get started shopping for a dress ASAP. Even if a June wedding seems forever away, in the wedding world that’s sooner than you think—which is a good thing, because that means you’ll be married to the love of your life sooner than you think—girl math.
But What if I Don’t Have That Much Time?
Don’t stress! If you need your dress by a certain date, we will do everything we can to make sure you get your dream gown in time. Pritchétt is the perfect place to start because we have hundreds of gowns in our collection, that you can try on and take home with you the very same day. We do this because we know that not everyone has enough time to wait for a dress to be ordered. In fact, most of the brides that come to us end up buying from our collection.
There are also options to have anything rushed, whether it’s the actual gown itself or your alterations. We carry the best designers available and cultivate close relationships with each of them to ensure that when you’re in a time crunch, they can make it happen. We’ve even called them up in the middle of an appointment before to see if they can get a dress done in a shorter amount of time than normal. When we say we’ll do anything for our brides, we really mean anything.
I Have My Dress, But I Need to Change a Few Things
Remember earlier when we said that perfection can’t be achieved overnight? Sometimes, you try on a dress and it fits perfectly, eliminating the need to have it altered—that’s overnight perfection. More often than not, however, you’ll need at least a few things fixed because all bridal gowns are made with a standard sizing chart. Even if it’s just a slight hem.
We love our brides so much that we provide exclusive in-house alterations to every single person who gets their dress at Pritchétt. Alterations can take four to eight weeks to complete. But, if you’re on a super tight schedule, there are always options to have it rushed! Like we said, we will do everything we can to make sure you get your dream dress in time. Our master seamstresses are amazing at what they do and will help your vision come to life.
How Soon Can I Come In For An Appointment?
Come in as soon as you want! Keep in mind that starting now, we are entering our busiest season of the year, since all of our spring and summer brides are getting their dresses. That means appointments fill up quickly, so don’t hesitate to book as soon as you can, even if you don’t quite have the ring yet. Book online any time or over the phone during business hours.
Between the busy season and Chinese New Year, the time to get your dress is right now! We can’t wait to see you and celebrate such an exciting event. Don’t worry—we’ll provide the confetti when you say yes to the dress. See you soon!