• Where can you find an off-the-peg designer wedding dress for under £500?

  by BirdyMoola on 30th April 09 at 7:10 am

  

  Challenge: Part 1 of 3 in Where can you find an off-the-peg designer wedding dress for under £500?

  

  Thanks to Jenbug for sending us this challenge, which initially sounded completely scary considering the average bride in the UK shells out £826 on her dream dress. But once we started looking around we soon discovered thet there are many beautiful budget-friendly options around to choose from.

  Firstly, keep in mind that there are many factors that go into the expense of a wedding dress. With a bespoke gown, you’re paying for the hours of work that go into the various stages of getting an exact fit, as well as extensive corsetry and hand-finished details such as beading and embroidery.

  But I was genuinely amazed at the quality of some of the designer dresses I found, including the Elizabeth Emanuel range at Bhs, which are all priced at £495 (see pic above). I was equally impressed with the Star by Julian McDonald range at Debenhams (see right, for £200).

  If I had my time again I may be inclined to splash the 500 quid on a gorgeous cream or white dress by a fabulous designer such as Vivienne Westwood or Philip Lim, which are both available from Selfridges. In fact, Selfridges stocks an excellent range of wedding-worthy frocks under  £495 – keep an eye out for designers such as Malene Birger, Milly, Westwood Red Label, Maje, Tibi, Paul & Joe and Haute Hippie. A quick whirl around the shop floor also revealed some gorgeous cream or white options including a Vivienne Westwood Anglomania white cotton corset ribbed dress for £340 and a Marc by Marc Jacobs one-shouldered embroidered dress for £310.

  The best thing about a ‘non-traditional’ wedding dress is that you could get more than one wear out of it – not to mention wearing a fabulous designer on your wedding day. Matches is also an excellent source for affordable designer frocks. This divine silk crepe shift by Freda would look ‘60s-style simple and chic for a city wedding – a total steal at  £98. And I really like this flirty crochet dress by Diane von Furstenberg.

  Then there is this heavenly Roksanda Ilincic silk satin gown (see right) from Net-a-porter.com, which is slightly over budget at £625, but still excellent value for your wedding day.

  And although it may not be exactly “designer”, there are many stunning vintage wedding dresses that come in well under budget. I love the fabulous fifties wedding gowns from Love Miss Daisy, like this breathtaking ballerina-length dress with delicate ivory French lace for £390.

  Tomorrow: our top six wedding dresses under £500.

  

  Posted in Fashion, Vintage

  Tags: bridal, brides, budget, budget wedding dress, designer, Fashion, wedding

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• Where can you find an off-the-peg designer wedding dress for under £500 [Part 2]

  by BirdyMoola on 1st May 09 at 7:17 am

  

  Challenge: Part 2 of 3 in Where can you find an off-the-peg designer wedding dress for under £500?

  In our bid to find the ultimate dream gowns for under 500 quid, we stumbled across some truly amazing high street options. Take Coast, for instance. They’ve got an entire section dedicated to weddings and occasion wear, and we spotted some absolutely drop-dead gorgeous styles. Karen Millen is also a great go-to option for frocks that you can wear again on a big night out (ensuring maximum wear-for-cost value).

  You may also like to check out You and Your Wedding, which has a comprehensive wedding dress section. Check out the wedding dresses under £750 for more inspiration!

  As promised, here are our top six wedding dresses for under £500. We’ve picked dresses that will suit every style of wedding, from traditional church nuptials to more laid-back and casual affairs…

  

  Top row from left to right:
  Verona silk organza frill dress, £150, from Coast.
  Japanese paper cotton strapless dress, featuring big bouquet origami detail at the front, £500, by Designers Remix from Net-a-porter.
  Mancini tulle dress featuring full skirt and corsage of ivory blooms and ribbons in sage, ivory and lemon, £160, from Coast.
  Bottom row from left to right:
  DAY Birger et Mikkelsen taupe silk gown with bead-embellished neckline, £300, from Net-a-porter.
  Thurley silk gown with lace detailing, £555 (OK, a tad over budget but it’s drop-dead stunning!), exclusively available from Net-a-porter.
  Angel grecian-style maxi dress £275, from Coast.

  If you decide to go down the off-the-peg road, it might be a good idea to take your dress to a tailor to get it altered for a better fit. Also, if you need extra support and your dress doesn’t have any in-built corsetry, you may want to consider getting fitted for a corset or basque at a specialist lingerie store like Rigby & Peller, who have in-store experts with an eagle-eye for ultimate fit. Make sure you take along your dress to your appointment so they can ensure you get the right cut and style. And control pants-of-steel are also an excellent wear-again investment, especially if your dress is sleek or bias-cut.

  Happy wedding days!

  

  Posted in Fashion, Vintage

  Tags: bridal, budget, budget wedding dress, wedding, wedding dress

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• Where can you find an off-the-peg designer wedding dress for under £500 [Part 3]

  by BirdyMoola on 6th May 09 at 7:00 am

  

  Challenge: Part 3 of 3 in Where can you find an off-the-peg designer wedding dress for under £500?

  Many thanks to reader Fiona who suggested that we check out Etsy for affordable wedding frocks. In fact, we liked her genius idea so much that we decided to investigate further, and found that handmade weddings are indeed big business on Etsy. Here’s my top six Etsy wedding dresses under £500…

  

  Above, from left: ‘Helen’ silk charmeuse and silk chiffon wedding gown,US$600 by Love June; and ‘A peaceful afternoon dress’ in ivory silk and antique lace, US$515, by Sarah Seven.

  

  Above, from left: ‘Calla Lilly’ empire-cut sheath in heavy double crepe with a matt satin bodice, US$500, by London Demimonde; and Organza lace, silk satin wedding dress, custom-made to order (with matching veil), US$975 by Bellina Bridal.

  

  Above, from left: ‘June’ tea-length wedding dress in Italian silk Duchess satin, US$800, by Lizzie Jane’ and ‘Ghost dress’ in cascading English net and tulle straps, US$650 by English Dept.

  

  Posted in Fashion, Weddings

  Tags: Add new tag, budget, budget wedding, budget wedding dress, Etsy, Etsy wedding dress, made-to-measure, wedding dress

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