Look a Million Bucks for Your Spring Wedding, Even with a Price Cut

As it’s one of the biggest days in a woman’s life, can a £495 wedding dress from Bhs really match up to the moment?

Elizabeth Emanuel – famous for creating, with her then husband David, Princess Diana’s fairytale wedding dress in 1981 – launches her range for the High Street store tomorrow.

The public will get the chance to buy a dress similar to one that would normally cost £3,000. But is the bargain price tag a useful saving, or is it too good to be true?

In ten short years the UK High Street has transformed itself from drab and dreary into a place where even Kate Moss is prepared to show her face.

Value plus creativity is the magic formula, and now even our ’special day’ may feature a dress

that costs the same as a pair of designer shoes. Buying a High Street dress is a serious option for many brides-to-be.

According to market researcher Mintel, 40 per cent of weddings will include at least one partner marrying for the second time, and those who have spent a fortune first time round are less inclined to do so for a subsequent marriage.

Also, tradition used to dictate that it was a bride’s father who would pay for the dress after many years of saving for the pleasure.

Now, more couples are paying for their own wedding and they are doing so much earlier in their lives. It can come down to a choice between a kitchen filled with white goods or a made-to-measure dress.

Save on the budget, however, and you will lose out on exclusivity. “The fact that a dress will be worn by 5,000 other brides shouldn’t matter, as long as they don’t all turn up to your wedding,” says Bryony Toogood, fashion editor of Brides.

The Brides

Cat Barber, 32, is a personal assistant. She wears a white and silver embroidered shift dress, £250, by Monsoon, 0870 412 9000; Crystal beaded cuff, £528, by Erickson Beamon, 020 7259 0202; Sandals, from a selection at Anya Hindmarch, 020 7838 9177.

I tend to wear jeans and tops, so the idea of climbing into a stiff and formal wedding dress just wouldn’t be right for me.

I’m opting for a beach vibe, even though we’re marrying in England, and decided a long time ago that I wanted to get married in a short dress.

I’m quite tall and the long dresses I’ve tried make me look even longer.

But this dress is perfect for my figure. I also liked the fact that I will be able to get more than one wear from it.

Whether designer or High Street, I tend to buy things that I’ll love for ever. I don’t like jettisoning things and will always mend something rather than dump a favourite item. This dress is certainly one I would be able to wear again and then hopefully pass down to a daughter.

I don’t think the fact it has come from the High Street is relevant or distracts from its wonderful vintage-look charm

I know that people feel that for a first-time wedding you should spend the earth on your dress, but I think that if you can find one you like on the High Street and it suits you, why not?

We worry far too much about such things.

Claire Colquhoun, 34, is a civil servant. She wears a strapless gown, £495, from Bhs, 0845 196 0000; jewelled comb, £695, by Jasper Conran, 020 7292 9080; and Eden satin shoes, £550, by Gina, 020 7254 9811.

I work in the public sector dealing with housing issues and I’d say I have a pretty good understanding of the way things are in the real world.

That’s not to say I’m cautious about money – we all have choices to make – but I would say that anyone is mad not to at least consider the whole range of dresses, regardless of their budget.

This one is impressive for its price and it certainly feels like a proper wedding dress when I’m wearing it, because it has good boning and structure.

It’s a real fairy-tale shape, which makes it a surprising choice for me because my style is usually simple and understated. When I stepped into it I finally felt like a bride-to-be, and I know that I’m going to have a wonderful day.

One of the biggest reasons why spending only £500 on a dress is a good idea is that you can invest the money you would have spent elsewhere. I usually put my money into shoes and bags, and this dress will allow me to splash out on amazing shoes that can be worn again.

Olivia Shrive, 29, is an opera singer. She wears an ivory silk ruffle dress, £350, from Pearce II Fionda for Designers at Debenhams, 08445 616161; and ‘Elani’ silk satin shoes with diamante detail, £385, Jimmy Choo, 0845 270 7100.

My wedding is going to involve several changes throughout the evening so I think there’s a lot of sense in limiting the amount I would spend on a single dress. Besides, it’s a shame to spend thousands on one only to have a friend spill red wine on it.

This dress is feminine and soft, with just enough drama to make it special. I have Spanish and Brazilian blood and this appeals to the Latina side of me.

I think it’s amazing that you can find a dress this good on the High Street, especially as it reminds me of Chloe which is one of my favourite labels.

It also reflects my own style which is quite classic but with a bit of fashion edge to it. I find it strange when women marry and lose their own sense of style for the sake of looking like a traditional bride.

Source: DM