How Quickly Can You Actually Buy a Wedding Dress?

Patricia Garcia


Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, January 2011
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, January 2011

There's no season like wedding season. Our mailboxes are stacked with invitations cut from luxurious paper, dressed in calligraphy. And we're sure each event will be its own, brimming with emotion and picture-perfect. Now, we're well aware that in order to throw a good wedding, you've got to plan-booking venues, sending out save-the-dates, tasting cakes-a good year in advance. But out of curiosity, we rang up a handful of bridal ateliers to learn how long it actually takes to secure a dress. In other words, if you're planning to elope this summer, you might want to head to Net-a-Porter.

Bergdorf Goodman
Average delivery time: Three to four months
Is a rush order possible? It depends on which designer you choose.
Are any dresses available to buy now? There is nothing available off the rack.


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Kleinfeld Bridal
Average delivery time: Six to eight months
Is a rush order possible? Yes, but the average rush delivery time is around four months.
Are any dresses available to buy now? There is a very small selection of dresses you can buy off the rack.

Lovely Bride
Average delivery time: Five to six months
Is a rush order possible? Yes, but the fee and the delivery time frame depends on the designer of the dress you choose.
Are any dresses available to buy now? There is a select group of designers, such as Nicole Miller and Theia, at the store that offer dresses within a short time frame.

Mark Ingram Atelier
Average delivery time: Four to six months without alterations
Is a rush order possible? Yes, although the charge could be up to 30 percent of the price of the dress, and the average rush delivery time would still be around four months.


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Monique Lhuillier
Average delivery time: Four to six months
Is a rush order possible? It depends on the dress. Some can even be made in a four-to-eight-week window, but usually with a rush order, it takes about three months.
Are samples available? Yes, there's a ready-to-wed collection available for same day purchases.

Pronovias
If I'm looking for a dress for July, is it possible to buy one at your store? Oh no, no, no.
Is a rush order possible? Yes.
Are any dresses available to buy now? There are a few dresses available off the rack.

Saks Fifth Avenue
Average delivery time: At least six months.
Are any dresses available to buy now? No. Also, samples are not available for sale at the bridal salon.

Vera Wang
Average delivery time: At least four months to be produced, plus six months for alterations.
Is a rush order possible? It depends on the dress. Your best bet is have your alterations done elsewhere, where it can take less than two months.

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