By the time I found my ideal wedding dress, I’d already spent two days hunting through local boutiques. I was starting to lose hope when, on my third day of searching, I found The One: a white satin dress with a sweetheart neckline, a nipped-in waist and a full skirt with a big bow at the back.
So far, I’d found wedding dress shopping surprisingly nerve-racking, but this dress ticked all the boxes – it even had pockets, which was the dream. As I turned back and forth in front of the mirror, my friend Kirsty, who I’d brought along with me, started welling up. She rarely gets emotional, so I knew that meant the dress was perfect. I didn’t want to take it off.
There was just one snag: when I’d described the dress I was looking for, the sales assistant promised she had just the thing for me. But instead of being an off-the-shelf dress, this one was bespoke, and cost £2,200. My heart sank. My budget was £1,500, to match the amount my fiance, Jack, had spent on his kilt for our wedding – but this dress blew that total out of the water.
I decided to go home, have a think about it, and talk it through with Jack. He was happy for me to splash out, but the thought of spending so much money simply didn’t sit right with me. I embrace circular fashion, buying secondhand and reselling clothes and accessories when they’re no longer wanted. Jack had already worn his kilt to other weddings, and would wear it again after ours, but my wedding dress would be worn just once.
I’d made a note of my favourite dresses from previous shopping trips, so with a slightly heavy heart I decided to go back and try them on again, thinking perhaps I’d been too hasty to dismiss them. But every time I slid into another white gown, it didn’t feel right. I’d found the one for me, and nothing else would do.
I started looking at secondhand wedding dress sites, and after an evening’s fruitless scrolling I suddenly had a lightbulb moment. It felt like a long shot, but what if someone was selling the same dress on Vinted? I’d been on the app for about 18 months by then and had made approximately £2,300 by selling unused clothes, shoes and homeware.
I’d bought all sorts of things using my earnings, including some of our wedding decorations, so I knew there was a chance it could be for sale. When I searched for the name of the designer on the app and the dress popped up, I was absolutely thrilled. It was the right size and only £550, which was almost the same amount I had saved in my Vinted account. It felt like it was meant to be.
I bought the dress right away, and it arrived a few days later in a big box, carefully wrapped in tissue paper and looking almost new. I took it to my friend’s house to try it on so Jack wouldn’t see, and was delighted to find that it fitted almost perfectly.
Our wedding prep continued and a few months after buying the dress, I got the lovely news that I’d be six months’ pregnant on our wedding day. It meant the alterations the dress needed would be more extensive than expected, but because it was secondhand, we could afford them without worrying. I also bought my veil on Vinted – and as it was only £20, compared to about £250 new – we managed to save even more money.
Thanks to my dressmaker’s skills, by the time our wedding rolled around, the dress fitted perfectly over my bump and looked beautiful. I spent all day showing off my pockets and telling people I’d bought it from Vinted. Some people might think buying a secondhand wedding dress is a bit strange, or bad luck, but I saw it as romantic. I felt proud that I was giving a dress that must have taken hours of hard work a second chance in the spotlight.
After our wedding day, I sold some of our decorations on Vinted so other people would be able to enjoy them and I could use the money to buy baby clothes. I’ll also be selling my wedding dress when it returns from the dry cleaners, so it can go on to make another bride happy.
The person who sold the dress to me included a photo of her wearing it on her wedding day in the box, with a message saying: “Wishing you the happiest and most magical of wedding days! I promise this dress will make you feel super special.” When I sell it on, I’ll include a photo of our wedding day too, as a way of paying things forward and sharing the dress’s story. I can only hope its next owner’s big day is as happy as mine.
Got your eye on something special? Check Vinted
