Out of State Bride- Where to dress shop?

Definitely where you live.

Do what's most convenient for you.

Definitely where you live. You have more time to shop, and you can get alterations (which often take several visits) more easily.

I have a similar distance between where I live and where I'm getting married. I ordered my dress online and had it altered in my hometown (where the wedding is). It did mean a couple extra trips there, but those were helpful to have anyway since I had other vendor stuff I wanted to handle during business hours occasionally.

Also, it meant keeping my dress at my mom's house, which made it easier to hide from FH since we live together. And I just feel like it's been so much less stressful knowing all my stuff is already there, so I don't have to worry about forgetting anything important when I go down for the wedding.

I think it depends on how you plan to travel from where you live to your wedding. I got married in DE while I was living in AZ. For me, it was much easier to buy my dress in DE, store it at my parents' house, and do alterations there so I did not have to worry about getting the dress from AZ to DE before the wedding. I was able to fly out to DE a week before my wedding so the seamstress could finish alterations.

I think in your case, only being a 6 hour drive away, you'd be able to easily transport your dress from your home to your wedding, so doing your dress shopping and alterations where you live will be more convenient for you.

I'm also in Ohio and getting married in Florida. I shopped here and will get all of my alterations here. My dress will make the trek with us when we go down a few days prior.

I got married in a different state but bought my dress and did alterations where I live. I picked my dress up from the bridal salon the day before we left town. We folded down the seats in our Jeep and laid my dress on top of the bags. It traveled really well and didn't need to be steamed at all after the 8 hour trip.

I like near Seattle. We're doing a small ceremony and reception in Canada, followed by a local reception at home. I shopped near home so I could do so as I was able. I will also get alterations done at home. I'm scoping out locations near the ceremony/reception site for a steaming after travel.

Do you really want to make the drive to shop then the drive several times for alterations? That's a lot of hours, unless you're doing weekend trips do to other planning/investgation.

I live in California and our wedding is in our hometown in Virginia and I'm shopping for my dress here. Easy for alterations. I got that advice from a friend who also lives in California and had her wedding on the east coast and she wish she got her dress here in California makes everything easier and less traveling

I live in Oregon and my wedding is in New Mexico. I bought my dress locally as they need time to do alterations and to even order your dress. The place where I bought my dress offered to ship it for me after everything was completed for just a small fee. You should see if any of your local ships have the ability to ship your dress for you so you don't worry about how to get it there.

Thanks everyone! Sounds like Ohio dress shopping is the way to go!

Where you live! I lived in NJ, where I'm getting married, when I purchased my dress, and have since moved to NC. It has been such a pain flying home for alterations, I've probably spent as much as the dress cost to go back and forth!

Another thing to keep in mind is that boutique stores tend to stock dresses at the price point of their average shopper. You may find more dresses at a lower price point in Cleveland than Chicago. I miss Cleveland

A dress where you live.

I bought my dress out of town and while everything worked out it would have been easier if I had purchased it locally. I ultimately brought it here for alterations, but by not using one of their preferred people, I basically gave up any chance of them fixing things. Which for me was a problem since I was told one thing about how the dress would fit and it was not the case. I was also told I could line the sheer portions of my dress but they did not mention that I should have ordered extra fabric. I really trusted them and if I had been local to the shop I would have held them to what I was told.