A SAVVY bride has revealed how she got her dream designer wedding for a fraction of the price.
Alice Bolster bought a Vivienne Westwood wedding dress on Vinted and saved thousands of pounds.
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The 30-year-old said she has always loved pre-loved fashion and had her heart set on getting a second-hand wedding dress.
She spent time curating a Pinterest board of antique and vintage style ideas.
She ended up buying a second hand £700 Charlie Brear dress – worth £2,200 – from a charity bridal store but still wasn’t sure it was “the one”.
Alice continued to look on Vinted and couldn’t believe it when she found her “dream” Vivienne Westwood dress – which retails for around £5,000 to £6,000 when new.
She bought the dress for £2.5k – saving £3.5k – and says it made her feel “special and beautiful” on her big day on June 1 2024.
Alice, a graphic designer, from Teddington, London, said: “I never felt it was an option to get a new wedding dress.
“It wouldn’t have felt authentic. I would have felt guilty.
“I clicked on wedding dresses and put in the brand in as Vivienne Westwood.
“This one came up for £2.8k.
“I thought ‘Oh my god, I love it so much’.
“I messaged asking about measurements and asked ‘would you do it for £2.5k?’.
“It’s literally my dream dress.
“It just fit like an absolute glove. It was meant to be.”
The stunning bride also gave each of her bridesmaids £30 to pick their own second hand outfit for the day, with most finding them on Vinted.
Average cost of a wedding in 2025
Recent research by Hodge reveals the dream of getting married can come with a hefty price tag, reaching more than £20,000.
- Food – £6,000
- Honeymoon – £4,329
- Wedding outfits – £3,500
- Entertainment – £2,000
- Engagement ring – £1,948
- Flowers – £1,110
- Wedding ring – £1,000
- Wedding transport – £700
Total = £20,587
Alice grew up with her mum, Ruth Darby, 63, who advocated for second-hand and vintage fashion.
She said: “She’d be grumpy with me if I had an ASOS order arrive.”
Alice now shops primarily pre-loved herself and says her wardrobe is 95 per cent second-hand.
She shops from car boot sales, charity shops, and Vinted and Depop.
She set up her own business We Go Full Circle in October 2021 where she sells vintage pieces she finds and styles.
When her now-husband, George Bolster, 30, a consultant, proposed in June 2023 Alice knew she wanted to find a second-hand wedding dress.
She said: “I really wanted a second-hand one. I wasn’t sure what I wanted.”
Alice set herself a top budget of £2.5k to £3k but initially to find the ideal dress for under £4k.
She found a dress in charity bridal store but wasn’t set on it.
Alice said: “I wasn’t sure it was definitely the one.
“I kept torturing myself looking on Vinted.”
But when Alice stumbled across the Vivienne Westwood in January 2024 she knew she had to get it.
She said: “I knew I loved it. I had a vision.
“It fit perfectly. “It was quite a steal.”
Alice’s mum, who works in Oxfam, wore a 1920s vintage blouse and green satin trousers that she already owned.
Her dad, Andrew Darby, 65, a retired accountant, wore a suit he has had since the 1990s.
Alice loved wearing her dress on the day.
She said: “It just felt like it was the one – the one I dreamed of.
“It made me feel special and beautiful. There are so many second-hand dresses out there.”