The cost of Wedding Dresses

In future, I would like to see less emphasis on 'single wear' dresses and more on sustainability, either recycling dresses (through second hand bridal boutiques) or restyling them to wear again.

Many years ago, brides wore their 'best' dress to get married in - they might get a new one for the wedding, but once the day was over, it would be reworn. It's only recently that it's become normal to spend ££££s on a dress that will be worn for just a few hours.

When I was shopping for a dress, I looked specifically for dresses that were either second hand or sustainably made. I also looked with a view to reusing the dress after the day. I couldn't find anything I liked secondhand, but I did find a dress that can be dyed and reworn as a 'posh frock'.

I've seen a few boutiques and designers that are concentrating on sustainably made, reusable dresses, and I would love to see this kind of bridal business increase.

In the past I have had brides that have rented their dress, Not sure if that is available anymore.

Yes, you can still rent dresses. I looked into this option, but they only tend to rent the higher end dresses. As my budget was small in the first place, it didn't really save me any money, as I'd be paying just as much to rent a dress as to buy one. If you want a more expensive dress, then I think hiring is a good option.

Thanks to all who have taken part in the discussion so far!

We are trying to have a more sustainable wedding, so have been scouring charity shops and second hand websites for decorations and other bits and bobs. The environmental impact of the wedding industry is nothing short of colossal, and we didn't want to add to it if we could help it.

I am thinking that once C19 is under better control, of returning to my wedding planning roots and starting up a sustainable wedding enterprise, particuarly concentrating on attire and decorative items as these seem to be some of the most expensive and wasteful items to keep buying new for every wedding.

Fresh flowers are the other big environmental impacter; we are using Lush (the toiletries store) in Liverpool as they only use in season and locally available flowers.

I'd be interested in your thoughts on pre-loved wedding shopping - is it something you would consider? If so, what would be your motivation, environment, budget, availability, etc?

I was definitely interested in pre-loved, for a mix of financial and ethical/environmental reasons. Didn't end up going that way only because of lack of availability - e.g. when looking for dresses, I didn't find a single secondhand one I liked that was in my price range and size.

Instead, I've chosen to support small businesses, with the emphasis on buying items I can use again. Our invitations/orders of service are the only single-use items we've purchased!