Why January is the best time to buy your wedding dress

Christmas is the busiest time of year for marriage proposals- around 100,000 couples are thought to have become engaged over the festive season, according to planning website Bridebook.co.uk. And so it goes that January becomes one of the busiest times of the year for a wedding dress designer. A new batch of brides-to-be will begin making their initial enquiries (we're looking at you, Meghan Markle) and, as such, the bridal industry steps up to make this the month to secure The Dress.

“January is a common time for people to kick off their wedding planning,” says Hamish Shephard, founder of Bridebook. “Firstly, there has always historically been a high number of engagements over the festive period and people waste no time in booking their dream venue before their preferred date is snapped up. Secondly, couples who got engaged last year see the new year as the turning point when the countdown officially begins, so they start to get organised too.”

These are the tips to note...

The new collections are arriving

It’s out with the old and in with the new, as designers are currently restocking their boutiques with their 2018 collections. Some brands offer one collection per year, others will split into spring/summer and autumn/winter offerings (the latter being the styles seen on the catwalk in October) but both collections will currently be available to order. January, in this case, is the time when choices are bountiful.

The Lawton dress and Voulaire skirt from designer Charlie Brear's new 2018 collection. 

Classics are discounted

Of course, with this being bridal, you might argue that it doesn’t matter what ‘fashion season’ a dress originated in. Plenty of off-the-rack gowns and separates have now been heavily discounted in the January sales and, best of all, are available to buy immediately if your wedding is in the next few weeks. Check the bridal section of the Net-A-Porter sale, or type ‘white gown’ into the search box on MatchesFashion.com to reveal gems like this simple Balenciaga dress. Perfect for a relaxed destination wedding, no?

Balenciaga chain embellished gown, was £1,544, now £772, at MatchesFashion.com 

There are sample sales to plunder

“Research when all the sample sales are,” advises Shephard. “There are often quite a few between January and April as the new collections arrive, and you can bag yourself a bargain if you are organised. Make a day of it and take your bridesmaids for brunch/lunch beforehand.”

Designer Charlie Brear's sample sale takes place this Sunday in London's Mayfair, with prices for her dresses (which usually cost up to £5,000) available for as little as £100. Appointments can be made on her website. 

Meanwhile, London-based couture designer Phillipa Lepley’s sale began on Tuesday, and appointments can be made at her boutique via her website. “The experience brides will receive during our sale is no different,” she explains. “They are likely to have the shop to themselves [for their appointment] and they will have my skilled team on hand who are experts in helping to identify exactly what style each bride would like. A selection of over 50 wedding dresses will be re-priced, available to purchase for the first time there and then having previously been used for display purposes and couture appointments. This year discounts are up to 75% and dresses that usually priced at £10 - £25,000 are available from £1,500.”

Supplies of second hand gowns are replenished

Doing a wardrobe detox this January? You would not believe how many former brides are doing the same thing and have finally decided that it’s time to donate their once-loved dress that they will never wear again. Oxfam’s designated bridal shops receive donations from brides, as well as designers who want to clear out their stockrooms en masse. Meanwhile at BridesDoGood, donations come from several partners including the exclusive Browns Bride boutique, and a portion of each sale goes towards helping end child marriage around the world. "Do some homework; try on dresses beforehand to help decide what style suits you best,” Caroline Burstein, founder of Browns Bride boutique, told The Telegraph. “It will save time and stress.”