Masha
While some brides spend an eye-watering amount on a wedding dress, not every bride believes in breaking the bank for a gown. Cat Wilkinson, a newly engaged bride from Blackburn, UK, is a shining example of this thrifty approach to wedding dress shopping. She shared her heartwarming thrift store wedding dress find on Facebook, where thousands of brides and wedding enthusiasts showed their love through likes and comments.
Just a day after her engagement, during a visit to a thrift store in York with her fiancé, bride-to-be Cat stumbled upon a stunning, yet cheap wedding dress that seemed like destiny. This cheap wedding dress from the thrift store perfectly embodied the thrifty bride’s dream for her wedding.
The bride-to-be was amazed to find her ideal wedding gown displayed in a second-hand shop.
Making sure her fiancé was out of sight, Cat tried on an elegant long-sleeved dress. Overwhelmed with excitement, she shared in her post, “I bought the dress there and then for the small sum of £35 ($43).”
In an interview, Cat revealed that while she always hoped to find her wedding dress in a charity shop, she never imagined it would happen so soon after her engagement. “I always hoped that I would find my wedding dress in a charity shop, I just never imagined it would be the day after being proposed to,” she expressed.
Just a day after getting engaged, Cat unexpectedly found the perfect dress in a local charity shop.
For only £35 ($43), she found her dream dress with long sleeves, stunning lace, and the perfect white.
With alterations, she spent £235 ($293) – a bargain compared to most new dresses on the market.
Her story became even more enchanting when she discovered the dress’s history. “I took the dress to a vintage bridal store as I was curious and found out that the dress is 1950s, made from home rather than a bridal store,” Cat excitedly shared. “The flower embellishments are older still – meaning they were likely passed down from an older relative as a ‘something old’ keepsake.”
This beautiful gown, brimming with history, not only made Cat dazzle on her wedding day but also served as a sweet reminder. She said in the same interview, “I wanted to share my story so that those who feel under pressure financially to ‘look the part’ on their big day realize that it is possible on a budget.”
“I hope my £35 wedding dress is a small reminder that something doesn’t need to cost the earth to make you feel special”
Her post has since garnered numerous sweet comments and compliments. One woman wrote, “You were definitely meant to wear that dress – it was perfect for you!” while another commented, “You looked unbelievably beautiful and the dress has another fantastic piece of history to add to it.” A third admirer added, “Wow!!! Beautiful and so very special, you’ve made it your own.”
Cat’s journey exemplifies a refreshing twist in the often extravagant and costly world of modern weddings, proving that recycling, reviving, and thriving with a piece of history can be just as, if not more, meaningful than the priciest of new gowns.
Everyone in the comments was giving the bride props for her savvy, budget-friendly pick.
