For more than 70 years, thousands of brides have traveled to Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City to find their wedding day looks. From the moment you walk through the doors, you’ll feel the magic of Kleinfeld. Not only does Kleinfeld have 30,000 square feet filled with the largest selection of wedding dresses in the world, it also has the greatest professional staff of over 200 employees who are dedicated to finding and perfecting your bridal look.
You might have heard us use this phrase before, but here at Kleinfeld we always suggest our brides shop 9-12 months before their wedding day. But have you ever wondered why? Find out 5 different reasons and a few benefits to shopping months before your wedding day below!
Your dress is special ordered.
When you say ‘Yes!’ to the dress, a bridal manager will join your appointment to take your measurements. They’ll take three measurements to be exact—your bust, waist and hips. From there, our production team will order your dress based on your largest measurement and according to the designer’s size chart, making your dress a special order. Unlike off-the-rack boutiques where you purchase a dress in store and take it home with you, dresses at Kleinfeld are special ordered and then weeks before the wedding, fitted to your body. This makes your dress your dress and your dress only!
Dresses can take months to create, depending on the level of work.
While you can always talk to your consultant about ordering a dress that can come in a shorter time frame, we pride ourselves in our wide selection of intricately beaded and hand-embroidered wedding dresses as well as styles using fine fabrics sourced from overseas that are well worth the wait. Our various designers spend countless hours perfecting every appliqué and securing every sequin so that your dress is uniquely you and unbelievably gorgeous.
Dresses are shipped from all over the world.
We carry designers from Israel, Italy, Spain, and more. With that, each dress, once completed, can be shipped from thousands of miles away to Kleinfeld, which can take a little while!
Alterations take time.
Typically, we suggest starting the alterations process 8-12 weeks before your wedding date (your dress will arrive in store and we’ll contact you to make your first fitting). Over the course of about 2-3 fittings over the 8-12 week period, our expert alterations team will pin, sew, bead, press and pack your dress so that it meets your specifications and is ready for you to slip into on your special day. While we do offer express alterations packages should you need, we generally suggest ordering your dress early so that you have ample time to alter your dress to fit you perfectly.
Shopping early takes the pressure off!
Last but certainly not least, we tell our brides to shop early so that there’s no pressure later on! We know you’re busy with floral arrangements, table settings and hotel accommodations, so check the biggest ticket item off of your wedding planning checklist and find your dress first. This way, your attention can be focused elsewhere while your dress is being made! Want to know how else to avoid dress stress? Read here.