Along with many other things to think about in the lead-up to your big day, a wedding dress for any bride is one decision that takes priority. Wedding dresses can range from anything £2000 to potentially a 5-figure sum. This leaves you wondering Should I Buy or Rent My Wedding Dress?
One of the immediate benefits you will realise is that all of a sudden your choices become much wider and your budget can go further. If you are simply borrowing a beautiful dress for a day, you can look at the dresses that would have been way out of budget if you were to buy them. We all know how hard it is when you have your heart set on an item of clothing but you just can’t bring yourself to spend that money. Renting gives you the chance to finally have that designer wedding dress that you’ve always wanted on your special day.
Weddings are expensive, we all know that, but there is nothing wrong with being boujie on a budget. Buying a wedding dress can be between £2000 to £20,000 depending on the brand and type of dress you go for. For most of us, this really is a lot of money for a dress you are going to wear once. Renting can lower the cost down to the hundreds, meaning you are well within budget and can spend the extra cash on things like a fabulous honeymoon!
If renting your wedding dress was not on your original plan and you’re a little sad about that idea then try and look at making the experience special. Remember a few things like, your wedding day is about marrying the love of your life, as beautiful as these extra bits like flowers and wedding dresses are, the most important thing is you and your new spouse. Wedding days are special and so many women are going to be in the same boat as you. Something to remember is the wedding dress you wear and have fantastic memories is also going to do the same for someone else one day, and we think that is pretty special in itself.
We are in an age where being mindful of how much we are buying and how often we will wear that item is important. More and more people are trying to think of ways to eliminate fast fashion in their lives. And as a dress, you do quite literally wear once, is that really cost-effective? Renting is like wedding dress recycling, it’s a perfect way to make a beautiful and magical dress get the love and wear that it deserves. How many women do you know that still have their wedding dress from 10 or 20 years ago and it’s still perfectly in it’s box? As beautiful as that is, it’s not getting the love and wear that a piece of that price and quality deserves.
If you choose to take the leap and buy your wedding dress it can be something you keep and pass down to your children. You can either make christening dresses out of it or pass it down to your daughter for her own wedding dress. Lots of women choose to buy and keep their wedding dresses for this exact reason. Even if you want to buy your wedding dress and then don’t have children you can sell it or give it to a younger bride who wants to look beautiful on a budget. You could even help someone out who was thinking should I buy or rent my wedding dress?
If buying and keeping a wedding dress is something that you want to do but just can’t fathom spending hundreds or even a few thousand then there are great other options. Many fashion retail stores online now have a bridal section. Asos has a fantastic selection of wedding and bridesmaid dresses that won’t break the bank. They have wedding dresses from £50 to £200. While they are all fairly simple they are still incredibly beautiful. You won’t find a ballgown but you will find an elegant, beautiful dress.
Just like what we were talking about earlier, there are so many women out there who are selling their wedding dresses online, places like Vinted and Depop are perfect for this. You can even try charity shops. Many charity shops have a variety of wedding dresses that people have donated, granted some are fairly retro, maybe from the 80s, but you could buy one of these and get it altered to your style for still well under the price of a brand-new dress! You would also be giving this money to a charity, they are helping with your wedding dress dreams and you are helping fund an incredible charity, It’s a win-win!
Choosing your wedding dress is tricky enough, but we hope we have answered the question Should I Buy or Rent My Wedding Dress?
Please talk to us about any worries when you get in touch – we really are very good at coming up with solutions to best help you!
As always, our thanks goes to all the amazing photographers who have supplied us with so many great images. Please find their details on the specific weddings.