In 2023, the average wedding in the UK cost £20,700. This was an 12.5% increase on the same figure from 2022, which was nearly 20% up from the equivalent in 2021.
But as the price of most things increases, pre-loved and vintage wedding dresses are arguably the only thing that saves brides money on their wedding day.
I spoke to Gillian, a local wedding dress shop owner in Teddington, South-West London to find out more about the changing culture around wedding dresses.
Gillian has owned the Gillian Million wedding dress store since 1998, so it is safe to say she has seen it all in the world of wedding dresses.
She began making headdresses and accessories for Liberty, and has since been selling her own designs, her own accessories, once-worn, pre-loved dresses and vintage designer dresses.
She explained to me that unlike other companies who would only stock brand new dresses from manufacturers, 40% of her’s were pre-loved and 20% she had made herself. The other 40% were ‘straight off the catwalk’.
It is evident that there are two main advantages to pre-loved wedding dresses: sustainability and price.
Wedding dresses are often sold at around £16,000 but, if you were to pick a pre-loved dress instead, this price can be reduced to £5000 or lower.
Not only are they less expensive, but they are also more sustainable, and Gillian found that their popularity increased around 8 years ago, when climate change began to move to the forefront of global news.
This is possibly the most influential factor of a pre-loved dress, as it hugely reduces waste.
Instead of fabric eventually being sent to landfill, the materials are either recycled and composed into a new dress, or it’s simply reworn by a different bride.
Gillian said that pre-loved wedding dresses are ‘here to stay’ unlike other fashion trends which can massively fluctuate over time.
This is a huge benefit to the environmental and financial sustainability of weddings.
To conclude, the changing perspective of the environment and economy has brought more sustainable wedding options into the spotlight, as more brides decide that the benefits of a pre-loved dress outweigh the loss of traditionalism.
