Is it time to shop for a wedding dress?

Your wedding may feel like it's ages away, but believe it or not, it could be time for you to shop for your wedding dress. Experts recommend starting 9-12 months before the big day so as to allow for alterations, fittings, and custom ordering. That means summer 2006 brides should start right now.

Not sure where to start? Here are some helpful hints about shopping for your wedding dress. You may also want to read profiles of some of the most successful wedding dress designers, like Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier. And, you may also be glad to know that this Friday, Filene's in Boston holds its annual "running of the brides" bridal sample sale - an event with bargains so good, brides come from hundreds of miles away.

If you haven't even started thinking about your wedding yet, begin by reading summer wedding ideas.