The demand for affordable wedding dresses is burgeoning, and there’s several reasons why. First of all, weddings are expensive – take it from a 2025 bride-to-be – and while they’ve always been spenny, they seem to be becoming increasingly more so with each year that passes.
Not all couples are OK with pushing back their vows in order to save more and splash out on things like outfitting, so in this current cost climate, getting hitched on the lower end of the budget spectrum (and looking to high street wedding dresses in the process) is a smart decision.
Second? Recent celebrity weddings (Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi, Ed Westwick and Amy Jackson, etc, etc.) have pushed the demand for second/evening wedding dresses tenfold, so unless you’re extremely fortunate enough to be able to afford two gowns – or design your own, for that matter – then a more affordable price point is likely where you’re looking.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Planning your big day is no mean feat at the best of times: expensive, stressful and time-consuming. Your growing list of things-to-do will include finding the perfect venue, photographer, multi-way bridesmaid dresses to keep your pals happy and entertainment for everyone else, so when you start to tot up the cost of all of the above, a designer wedding dress may start to feel a little too extravagant for something you’ll only wear once. Totally justified.
Enter: affordable wedding dresses that look expensive. Yep, high street wedding dresses exist thanks to brands like Karen Millen, RIXO and ASOS taking inspiration from designer bridalwear (by Halfpenny London, Vivienne Westwood, Vera Wang et. al.) in their affordable wedding dress collections.
Everyone’s favourite Coast has tonnes of wedding gowns that are perfectly suited to the traditional bride with beaded embellishments and tulle underskirts, while Reformation wedding dresses capture modern romanticism (and score in the sustainability games) for modest prices. They span far beyond the Meghan Markle-inspired slip dresses they’re best known for. Elsewhere, designer retailers Net-A-Porter and Mytheresa carry some excellent bridal brands that fall in the more affordable price bracket too. See below…
After more wedding content? Shop square neck wedding dresses, short wedding dresses, ASOS wedding dresses, wedding shoes and wedding day jumpsuits. Not the bride? We’ve got the best wedding guest dresses, mother of the bride dresses and more. For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Senior Commerce Writer Georgia Trodd, follow her on Instagram @georgiatrodd.