Ideally, you can have your dream dress picked out nine months before the wedding. Wedding dress designer and retailer, Sydney Dunbar, explains that having your dress picked out six to nine months before the big day “allows for a good amount of relaxation for the shopping experience.” Five months before the wedding is when you’ll probably want to start looking for accessories. Keep in mind the venue, time of year, and dress style when picking out the items that you’ll wear along with your wedding dress. At the three-month mark, your wedding dress should be finished at the salon. Dunbar points out, “If you’re having a destination wedding or doing bridal portraits, that effectively becomes your wedding date because you need your dress for that time. A lot of brides also prefer to have their dress completely done a month before their wedding just so the fit is perfect and there are no changes in the body.”

The ideal time to schedule your first fitting is six to eight weeks before the wedding. It’s advised to bring along some of the bridesmaids so they can see how to properly help you handle your dress. The second fitting should take place four weeks before the wedding. You can also finalize any last-minute accessories at this point as well. Make sure to bring your wedding-day undergarments to this fitting, just to make sure everything meets your expectations. If you need a third fitting, that should take place two weeks before the wedding. This is also when you should try on your entire wedding outfit, including shoes, accessories, and undergarments, in order to check that everything is perfect. If you’re traveling for your wedding, you should have the salon pack your dress accordingly one week before the big day.

On your wedding day, unpack your dress, hang it somewhere it can air out, and steam out any wrinkles. If you prefer to have a professional do this, many salons offer day-of services for an extra fee.

Either way, if you follow this guide, your dress will be ready in time in the least stressful way possible!

If you’re getting engaged, one of the most important things you have to do for your engagement photos is find a great hairstyle. Wedding hairstyles are an expression of your personality that can make or break your look. You can choose something ultra fancy or go for something much more relaxed. Here are five amazing ones to take your pick from.

Swept-Up Bun

You must have seen a lot of women go for high buns for their engagement pictures, but if you think it is not your cup of tea, don’t worry. You can try this lovely and straightforward swept-up bun. Start by pinning your hair in the shape of a bun toward the top of your crown rather than putting it in a ponytail and wrapping it around the base. To give your hairstyle a more relaxed and carefree look, you can leave out a few layers in the front from the bun framing your face.

Piecey Bun

Another bun style you can try for your engagement pictures is the piecey bun. It is perfect if you want to go for a messy look. For this look, you need to gather your hair loosely at the nape of your neck and twist it into a bun shape. After that, pin your hair and put some hair spray on to set it. The best part of the messy look is that you do not have to perfect it; even if a hair strand moves, it still looks gorgeous.

French Braid

For all those women out there who have beautiful long and thick hair, one of the best hairstyles you can try for photo day is a french braid. It not only makes you look elegant but will also keep the hair out of your face. You can go the extra mile by pulling a little bit of your hair outwards from the braid’s center. This will help you add a little more volume to your hairstyle. You can also add a few flowers or a few shiny little beads to the braid to complete the look effortlessly.

A Bedazzled Headband

If you can’t decide which hairstyle to go for, you can keep things simple and just accessorize them with something classy. One of the best ways to go about it is to pick a hair band. This multipurpose accessory will keep the hair out of your face and will also bring out your hair in the best possible way. All that needs to be done is partition your hair and simply put a hair band on. The only decision you need to make is if you want to go for a simple headband or one with huge crystals.

Textured Beachy Waves

Another simple hairstyle that you can pick for the photos is beachy waves, especially for those who naturally have wavy hair, as all you will need to do is merely curl a few hair strands. For that perfect beachy look, make sure to pull at the ends of each strand right after curling. It’s the perfect look for someone who wants to go for something relaxed yet sophisticated.