Gorgeous Bride Applauded For Thrifting Her Wedding Dress In A Charity Shop For $42

Aug 04, 2022 by apost team

Many brides would do — and pay — almost anything to make sure their special day is absolutely perfect, but one bride in the United Kingdom proved in 2019 that you can still pull off perfection at a fraction of the usual cost.

Cat Wilkinson, a senior lecturer in Education at Liverpool John Moores University, was ecstatic after her boyfriend Mike proposed to her on a night out in York. The very next day while out and about in the city, they happened to visit a charity shop called Sue Ryder York. As Wilkinson was browsing the racks upstairs, she came across a unique find.

“I was upstairs and phoned Mike to tell him not to come up while I tried something on and to ask if the shop volunteer could come up to take a photo,” she wrote on Facebook.

Besotted with a vintage white dress, the then 29-year-old bought it for a small sum of £35 (approximately $42).

“I never expected the dress to fit me — my main reason to try it on was to see if the image of what I wanted that I had in my mind for so long was correct — and it was! Myself and the lady who worked in the store couldn’t believe that the dress fitted me perfectly, it was as if it was meant to be. The lady kindly took a photo of the dress and I excitedly sent it to my sister and mum who gave me the reassurance I needed to buy the dress. Although with the £35 price tag I didn’t need much reassurance!” she later told Metro.

She then walked down the aisle in July 2019 in stunning fashion, gaining fans online in the process.

She explained that although the dress was perfect, she decided to make a few alterations in order to make it perfect for her special day. She replaced a zip, added buttons to the back and sleeves and added a floral detail to the front. The tweaks cost her just £200 (approximately $242), which meant her dream wedding dress only cost her £235 (approximately $285).

“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, and the flower embellishments are older still — meaning they were likely passed down from an older relative as a ‘something old’ keepsake,” Wilkinson said.

“Finding out the history of the dress made me love it even more,” she said. “I would love to find the person who donated the dress so that I can have a cup of tea with them and show them my wedding photos,” she told Yahoo Style UK. 

Wilkinson’s thrifty ways drew praise online.

“Lucky hubby, you are beautiful and clever, monies were well spent and not wasted. All the best to both of you,” an Instagram user commented.

“Beautiful. No need to spend a fortune on a dress to look gorgeous,” another said.

“Yep, it’s not what it costs, it’s if it makes you feel good and brings you joy.”

Wilkinson and her husband have since welcomed a child into their little family, but she still looks back on that special day with joy. There’s no doubt Wilkinson’s story will inspire people to recycle vintage treasures more often.

“I hope my £35 wedding dress is a small reminder that something doesn’t need to cost the earth to make you feel special,” she added.

apost.com

What do you think of the lovely bride’s dress and its price tag? Do you believe something cheap can still be of value? Let us know and pass this along to all your thrifty friends and family.