Start Shopping for Your Dress About a Year Before Your Wedding.

After receiving your stunning gem, what's the first thing that comes to mind? The wedding! And what's the most important part of that? Your dress! Granted, every woman wants the wedding of their dreams and a big part of that is a magnificent wedding dress.

Well, if you're not planning on getting married instantly and want to take at least a year(or more) to enjoy your engagement, take the time to look for the perfect dress.

As Sydney-based celebrant Yohan Khouri says, if you try shopping early, you'll give yourself too much time to second-guess your selection. Besides, new dresses are launched every six months at Bridal Markets, so you'll want to make sure you have the most up-to-date selections.

• . Buy Your Dress Six to Nine Months Before Your Wedding.

 Most exclusive bridal boutiques, custom-make your dress for you (isn't that amazing!). As such, give your boutique at least 4 to 6 months to make the dress. Additionally, you should allow two weeks for shipping and two to four weeks for modifications. Note that alterations are nearly always required to make a gown completely fit you.

With that in mind, it's shrewd to have the dress in your wardrobe and marked off your to-do list at least a month before the wedding, because there will likely be a lot of other last-minute items to attend to. Of course, the time frame differs from dress to dress but if you want to see ALL of the dress alternatives, you'll have to wait. That said, a fair rule of thumb is to buy your dress 6 to 9 months before, bearing in mind that couture or more complex gowns take even longer.