A lot has changed in the bridal fashion market since I got married in 2017. At that time the options for a fashion-forward dress on a tight budget were very limited, and I knew definitively that I didn’t want to go down the traditional route of meringues and fittings and remortgaging the house to secure “the one”. So, I ended up buying an off-the-peg monochrome Proenza Schouler dress on a whim whilst in Harvey Nichols for a press event. No friends or family were with me, there were no happy tears and it couldn’t have been less of a “moment” but I was so happy with the result.
The fact is, for many brides-to-be, the idea of putting aside £20k for a gown that you wear once and probably destroy on the dance-floor, has been outmoded for a while now. It’s taken a few years for the industry to catch up, but now in 2022 the contemporary bridal dresses and separates that are available at more affordable prices is truly remarkable.