‘My dream wedding dress was out of budget – then I found it secondhand on Vinted’
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When nurse Rani Matthews found the perfect dress for her big day, she thought it was out of reach – until she took a look on secondhand marketplace Vinted. By the time I found my ideal wedding dress, I’d already spent two days hunting through local boutiques. I was starting to lose hope when, on my third day of searching, I found The One: a white satin dress with a sweetheart neckline, a nipped-in waist and a full skirt with a big bow at the back.
![[Rani and Jack being showered with confetti]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/fa88b482af8a8f3fbd9fd900c3f08a570a822aec/0_893_4000_4997/master/4000.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
So far, I’d found wedding dress shopping surprisingly nerve-racking, but this dress ticked all the boxes – it even had pockets, which was the dream. As I turned back and forth in front of the mirror, my friend Kirsty, who I’d brought along with me, started welling up. She rarely gets emotional, so I knew that meant the dress was perfect. I didn’t want to take it off.
![[Rani and Jack in their wedding clothes]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/bdb555efdbb146cd26bde7bb46d8d57bb5b7534c/0_954_4000_4997/master/4000.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
There was just one snag: when I’d described the dress I was looking for, the sales assistant promised she had just the thing for me. But instead of being an off-the-shelf dress, this one was bespoke, and cost £2,200. My heart sank. My budget was £1,500, to match the amount my fiance, Jack, had spent on his kilt for our wedding – but this dress blew that total out of the water.
I decided to go home, have a think about it, and talk it through with Jack. He was happy for me to splash out, but the thought of spending so much money simply didn’t sit right with me. I embrace circular fashion, buying secondhand and reselling clothes and accessories when they’re no longer wanted. Jack had already worn his kilt to other weddings, and would wear it again after ours, but my wedding dress would be worn just once.
