Would You Wear A Second Hand Wedding Dress?

During a charity shop hunt around Sale today, I spotted this wedding dress in Scope’s shop window. I can’t say I know much about wedding dress designers or how much they cost, but £150 looked pretty reasonable to me.

This got me wondering how many people would be willing to wear a preloved wedding dress. While I personally don’t see the problem with it, I’m sure that there are people out there who would rather pay the extra for one that is brand new.

If I ever get married I don’t care whether the dress has been worn once before, twice before, or three times before, as long as I love it. Rather than simply buying a dress that was worn by a lass round the corner six months ago, I particularly like the idea of wearing something vintage from the fourties or fifties or something. I don’t think I’d ever wear a second hand dress that I wasn’t completely in love with though, no matter how cheap it was.

I’m aware that talking about weddings when you aren’t actually engaged can be considered a little bit creepy, but considering my boyfriend has already found a load of wedding dress screenshots in the photo gallery on my tablet, it’s clear he already thinks I’m a psychopath. So I guess I have nothing to lose in writing this.

But anyway, if you’re actually engaged and you’re thinking about saving some money on a wedding dress, you’re in luck because here are a few ideas of places to look.

Oxfam

While there is a possibility that you might spot a wedding dress in your local Oxfam, (or any other charity shop for that matter) you’ll have more luck finding one you love if you have a gander on the Oxfam Bridal online store. There’s absolutely tons to choose from and a variety of styles too.

Whether you’re into embellished, lace trimmed or vintage wedding dresses, there are loads of gorgeous ones to choose from. Many dresses are donated by designers themselves, meaning that if you wanted to, you could get a gorgeous dress for a fraction of the original price without actually having to wear something preloved.

Preloved

Preloved is another great place to snap up second hand wedding dresses for cheap. There are even some dresses for as little as £40. I’ve read about people buying dresses online from sellers who have only posted photos taken straight from the retailer’s website, only to receive a dress in the post that is nothing like the photo, or even receive nothing at all. So proceed with caution. While there’s no guarantee, it’s worth buying from sellers who have included images that look like they’ve been taken themselves. Photos from the actual wedding could also be handy to see what the dress looks like when it’s being worn.

Sell my Wedding Dress

Sell My Wedding Dress could be worth a look if you’re looking to save some money, but don’t expect to be blown away by cheap prices. This doesn’t strike me as the best place for vintage, if that’s your cup of tea, because Sell My Wedding Dress recommends that sellers don’t bother listing items that are more than four years old. This is because styles change and they’re less likely to sell, apparently. Pffft. You wouldn’t catch me being bothered about whether a dress I liked was in fashion or not.

From having a quick look at the website it does seem like a lot of people use this to make money, instead of just using it to sell their own wedding dress. So I guess if you like the idea of recycling a worn dress, rather than simply getting one for cheap, this might not be for you.

Whether you’re a bride to be who’s looking for a vintage wedding dress, or you’ve got married in a second hand dress before, I’d love to hear from you! Maybe you just know a thing or two about thrifty weddings and would like to share a few tips with readers who are brides to be. Get in touch in the comments below, and don’t forget to share any money-saving wedding tips if you have any.

Photo credits: Vintage wedding photos, Creative Commons

Charity shop window picture taken by me. Feel free to use, but please credit with a link