It was a fairly miserable Saturday morning. London was looking decidedly bleak, all doom-filled skies and depression. The murky clouds spewed out that horrendous fine drizzle that looks like nothing up close but leaves you soaked through and bedraggled. We – my sister and mother and I – clambered off the tube and begun the ascent to ground level at Oxford Street station. It was early October. The pavement was heaving and the shops already buzzing with the electricity of Christmas and all that comes with it.
I wasn’t looking for my wedding dress that day. At least not in an official capacity, anyway. I suspect most brides-to-be keep one eye on ‘the dress situation’ from the moment that precious ring is slipped on their finger. It’s just always there in the back of your mind, whatever you happen to be shopping for. Either way, I certainly didn’t expect to find mine hanging in the women’s wear section of John Lewis a whole 18 months before my wedding day.
I think I had probably envisaged something a little more Sex and the City. You know, the dress montage? From the movie? Carrie gets to model all those designer wedding dresses for Vogue and she looks fabulous in them all and her friends are there and they’re all sipping champagne and then Samantha cries and they all know the Vivienne Westwood one is THE ONE. Yea, just like that. All glamour and designer tags…
Instead, my mother picked up the coat hanger, draped the long swathes of fabric over the crook of her arm and led the way to the changing room. We even queued. My sister wedged herself into the tiny cubicle with me and helped do up the zipper. Uh huh, it has a zipper… no pearl buttons, no corset to cinch … just a plain old zipper.
I had half expected it to be too big. I’m a little on the scrawny side and sometimes high street sizing refuses to co-operate with me. But as my sister stepped back and I spun round to look in the fluorescently lit mirror I could tell it was perfect. It had the slinky silhouette I’d pictured for myself, and the delicate puddle train I’d imagined. There was lace and sparkle which I hadn’t considered, but when faced with it in the reflection in the mirror it just seemed right.
My sister approved and my Mum nodded encouragingly as I stepped out of the cubicle. There was no champagne, no tears, but a small crowd of sales assistants gathered at my end of the changing room and showered me with compliments. A party of shoppers a little further up poked their head round the curtains of their changing rooms and told me I looked beautiful, stunning. I was aware I couldn’t stop smiling.
But this couldn’t be the dress, my dress, could it? I mean, it was just so, so … cheap.
I doubt I’m alone in having had designer aspirations for my wedding day attire. And I’m sure my Mother isn’t the only Mother to tell their daughter to shop with her heart and not her head for this particular frock either. ‘Look at the price tag last’ she had told me as I slipped on an expensive Jenny Packham number a few weeks previously. What I realised was, the same rule applies if you find yourself shopping at the other end of the bridal market.
In that moment in the changing room I felt fabulous. The price tag was irrelevant.
In an attempt to stop the whole thing feeling too impulsive, my Mother suggested we paused to eat lunch. As I devoured the reassuring bowl of pasta I couldn’t get the image of the dress out of my mind; how I’d looked in it, how I’d felt, how I’d glided along the aisle of the changing rooms secretly humming ‘here comes the bride’ in my head.
So, when we were through with lunch, I bought it. I took it home on the tube in a John Lewis carrier, clutched to my chest as I sat in the crowded carriage all the way back to south London.
And you know the best thing about buying a ‘cheap’ dress? There’s plenty of money left over for shoes.
Mine start with a ‘J’ and end with ‘Choo’. And they cost more than the frock.
Carrie would be proud.
Loveaudrey xxx
‘Eve’ dress from Phase Eight {they no longer stock this style but the ‘Elizabeth’ is similar}, ‘Lace’ shoes by Jimmy Choo and head band by Magpie Vintage.
Photography copyright (c) 2012 Eliza Claire
Like you say, it matters not a jot how much the dress cost, but how you feel in it. And of course how you look – and you look absolutely stunning. Excellent choice Mrs! x
Thank you, I did indeed feel fabulous and that’s the main thing 🙂 xxx
I’m al about the cheap dresses! I’ve found out that mine was originally priced at £1400 but because I bought it from a lady who sells ex-shop samples (even though as it happens, mine was never actually used as one) I paid just £495 for it. Very gratifying! And I’m wearing shoes I already own! The wedding is making a big enough dent in the finances as it is so I’m chuffed to have not spent a fortune on a dress that is only going to be worn for 12 hours max. Plus, it’s beautiful.
Sounds like you nabbed a real bargain. Way I see it, my dress is still the most expenisive frock I’ve ever bought or worn! I literally cannot wait to see you in your wedding dress, it’s too exciting! xxx
I bought a pair of shoes on a whim today for the wedding – but they were only £30. However the quite for the actually wedding came through from the planners today and to say it’s eye wateringly expensive would be an understatement 🙁 Currently going through it to see what we can prune off.
Your dress is stunning and of course so are the shoes!! xx
Thank you Holly 🙂 I can’t wait to wear my Jimmy Choos again! xxx
I think you inadvertently did things just the right way, in that ideally you don’t want to have to spend a fortune on the dress, you want to be able to splash out on the shoes which you can wear again and again! A lot of my friends have done the same thing, and at their weddings we have all had to get special snapshots of the shoes x
You’re right, and I always think accessories ‘make’ an outfit anyway. I plan on wearing my shoes every year on our wedding anniversary 🙂 xxx
that dress is absolutely perfect!! absolutely stunning! xo
pebbz|
Thank you 🙂 xxx
It is a very beautiful dress and I wouldn’t have known it wasn’t an expensive Jenny Packham had you not said. How wonderful to have found it so early on! x
Quite a few guests asked if it was actually vintage, and everyone was shocked when I told them what I paid! Finding it early was great, although it gave me plenty of time to have a few dress wobbles!! xxx
fab dress!, fab price!
my dress experience was the same xx
It really was 🙂 xxx
You keep making me cry! Stop writing so beautifully, dammit!
It’s time to get my own back. There is a little award for you over on my latest blog post. I expect an Oscar winning speech and lots and lots of TEARS!!! Please?!! 😀 xxxxxxxxxx
Oh you’re too kind, this has made my day!! Thank you so much 😀 xxx
I really hope that I find my dress as easily as you did! I have so many ideas for what I want buzzing around in my head, but I am putting off actually going out and looking for the beautifully blasted thing!
I was reading mor recent post than this one, and just fell in love with the dress. It is so classy, so elegant, so chic, which what I think many brides avoid, unfortunately!
🙂
For my sister we did the same thing, and I am planning on doing the same for my wedding! Plus, as you said, you can always find a way to spend the money you saved on the dress, can’t you?!
x
Oh I loved this… I’m loving reading the story of your wedding – and how lovely for you to look back on.
Nic (who also wore a cheap wedding dress) xx
OMG you did the exact same thing i recently thought! and if you didnt say a word about the cheap for the dress we could never tell, cuz it looks fabulous!!!
and here i was thinking when i am ever on a bridal shopping, i will tell my in-laws that i just want a cheap simple white dress:D whiteness is the main thing:D why spend a fortune on a dress that you can wear only one day when you can spend that money for CHOOs !!!! 😀 my one and only love:D I was in love with Quinze and eyeing from Choo’s site but they were not there anymore 🙁 and then i discovered Lace’s and they were the perfect bridal shoe! which lucky you also got your hands on it:D It’s almost a year since the post i am commenting now but congratulations and happy one year anniversary:D