Bridal bargains

FASHION: Savvy brides are heading to the altar in fabulous dresses that come from sample rails and charity shops, writes Rosemary Mac Cabe

‘NOBODY WANTS a cheap wedding,” says wedding planner Rosemarie Meleady. “What people want now is value, not just all that money can buy.”

There is no doubt that priorities have changed. “Over the past 10 years, people got caught up in it,” says Meleady. “Everyone was quite flush and weddings were getting bigger and bigger, with brides spending up to €20,000 on a dress. I can’t see many of those being sold now.” But a wedding is still a wedding, with some things higher up the wish list than others.

“We prioritised,” says Claire Adams, a PA who got married in June 2007. “For the dress, I was thinking, ‘I don’t want to spend thousands on it’, whereas we wanted a nice honeymoon, and loads of flowers.”

She started out by scouring bridalwear stores around her home in Wicklow. “Then I went to Dublin and tried on a few there. I realised all the ones I liked were crazy prices – more than €3,000. I heard about a sample sale in Anabel Rose [on Dublin’s Wicklow Street], and all the dresses they’d had people try on for the season were there, between €500 and €1,000.” The dress Adams chose was reduced to €900 from more than €4,000. “It was such a good bargain, I couldn’t turn it down – plus, I got shoes reduced from €200 to €35.”

Claire Nolan from Kilkenny, who works in administration and is getting married in July, has a similar attitude. “The wedding is going to be quite small and we’re hoping to keep it low-key,” she says. “There’s no need to go for pointless expense, and it didn’t appeal to my character or to the character of my fiancé.

“We’d be very family-oriented, and of course we want to have a great day, but not to show off at all. It’s an occasion of joy, which means keeping stress to a minimum.”

Nolan knew all along that the traditional, ‘Wedding Barbie’-type dress was not for her. “I’m 37 . . . I’m a bit beyond that at this stage.” She started her search in second-hand, vintage and charity shops. “It suited the kind of ethos I’d have. I went to Oxfam Bridal because I’d heard great things. When I called, they were booked for months in advance. Then I got lucky and got a cancellation – it seems everyone’s thinking along the same lines.”

“We’re finding brides who are getting married in April or May coming to us now, looking for sample gowns,” says Mary Murray, co-owner of Scarlett Brides in Ennis, Co Clare. “People are waiting until much nearer the time of their wedding, too – they don’t want their money tied up for a year on the deposit, so they’re coming in later and later.”

While she runs a mainstream bridal shop, she is supportive of the charity-based alternative. “If someone’s struggling with a budget, I tell them to go somewhere such as Barnardos or Oxfam. Those places have dedicated bridal suites with trained staff and brand-new dresses, maybe last season, off-the-peg dresses. I would always advise brides to go in and have a look. I’ve had brides come back to me, saying ‘I got the exact same style I was looking at that cost €3,000, for less than €300’.”

Oxfam Bridal has a dedicated bridal room in its South Great George’s Street shop in Dublin, where 95 per cent of its stock is new (the other 5 per cent is once-worn dresses). Barnardos sells only new gowns that have been donated by designers, stores and wholesalers, and has two bridal suites, in Carlow and Dún Laoghaire.

Savings in these shops can be considerable – anywhere from 30 to 50 per cent, and more in some cases. Crucially, the experience also matches that of mainstream bridal stores; trained staff are on hand to help, and prospective brides and their entourage get a room to themselves.

When Nolan found her ideal dress, it came down to general consensus. “I brought my two sisters, who agree on absolutely nothing, and they agreed about the dress. I thought, ‘if it can get those two to agree, I should grab it with both hands. It was really affordable – under €500. It’s gorgeous, vintage, Italian – I’d be stupid to look for something more. I could afford a more expensive dress, but I found the perfect dress for less, which is great.”

There’s something new, too, in how people are viewing their bargains. “You don’t have to tell people you bought your dress at a discount,” says Meleady, “but lots of brides are now happy to show they’ve been savvy. There has been a complete switch – people are proud of getting a bargain.”

And when the savings you make give the same end result – a beautiful dress that you, your groom and your nearest and dearest can be proud of – what’s not to love?

oxfamireland.org/oxfambridal

theweddingplanner.ie

WEDDING BELLES

Savvy sample rails, charity shop options and good deals for brides

Anabel Rose Bridal, 10 Wicklow Street,

Dublin 2, anabelrose.com, 01-7079560

Anabel Rose runs roughly two sample sales a year, with the next sale taking place in mid-March. Expect discounts of between 50 and 70 per cent. Sales last between 10 days and two weeks.

Barnardos Bridal Rooms, George’s Street, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, 01-2801246; 48 Dublin Street, Carlow, 059-9132918, barnardos.ie

Barnardos stocks a range of new dresses donated by designers, stores or wholesalers. Viewing is by appointment only.

Myrtle Ivory, 3 Anne’s Lane, Dublin 2, 01-6753519, myrtleivory.com

Myrtle Ivory has an ongoing sample sale, with dresses that have been used in the shop as samples. Most dresses are in mint condition, although some will need to be dry-cleaned.

Marian Gale, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, 01-2697460, mariangale.ie

While Marian Gale doesn’t do a sample sale as such, she donates all shop-soiled dresses to Oxfam or Barnardo’s. She also stocks a range of “recession dresses”, from €299 to €925.

Oxfam Bridal, South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2, 01-4780777; Bangor, Co Down, 028-91458726, oxfamireland.org/oxfambridal

The majority of dresses in Oxfam Bridal are donated by designers, stores or wholesalers, with just 5 per cent second hand. The stores stock a range of sizes, and average prices are from €200 to €400. Viewing is by appointment only.

Scarlett Brides, 63 Parnell Street, Ennis, Co Clare, 065-6823855, scarlettbrides.com

There is a year-round sale rail with a minimum of 25 per cent discount on original prices. Sample gowns start at approximately €499, with the sample price calculated from the original price of the dress. New dresses are added each month.

Bella Donna, Centrepoint Liosban, Tuam Road, Galway, 091-755139, belladonnagalway.com

Bella Donna has a sale rail all year round, and a sample sale twice a year. At the last sample sale, 30 dresses were sold at €100 each, with original prices of €1,000 to €2,500. Sizes range from 10 to 32 and are in nearly new condition.

Amore Bridalwear, 43 South Main Street, Youghal, Co Cork, 024-91524, amorebridalwear.com

Amore stocks a small range of samples at a discounted price of 50 per cent off the original price. Prices range from €500 to €700 with sizes 10-20. Where dresses have been shopsoiled, the shop will dry clean dresses upon purchase.

The Bridal Boutique, 27 Patrick’s Quay, Cork, 021-4552324, thebridalboutique.ie

New, vintage and once-worn dresses and bridal accessories. All dresses are off-the-rack and all are half the original cost, including designs from Amanda Wakeley, Vera Wang and Jenny Packham. Prices start from €100 up to €2,250. Sizes range from six up to 28. Viewing is by appointment only.