The High-Street Bride’s Guide: How to Plan Your Perfect Wedding On A Budget

We’ve all drooled over a Coast dress at one time or another, whether it was too expensive for the Christmas party or too elegant to go clubbing in. So why would anyone look down their nose at such a luxe brand when it comes to their wedding? I for one didn’t – full disclosure: this is where I got my wedding dress from.

As you’d expect from a name with a fairly young following, there are those slightly higher-fashion details on these gowns compared to some of the others on our list – they got on board with the origami trend with a sheeny, structured bodice, and the high-front, low-back ruffle skirt has made an appearance, too. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of £115 to £695.

Debenhams

The Debut collection is a good call for empire line and sheath gowns especially, so if you’re looking for something simple and classic – maybe with a high neck or lace cover-up – this could be the place for you. Prices from about £150 to £200 aren’t uncommon, though there’s the occasional £450-er. In the sale shorter styles have been known to go for as little as £35, and longer for less than £90.

Monsoon

Similarly to Coast, Monsoon is on the style pulse – one of their collections even featured not one, but two lilac gowns for the fashion-forward bride. Again, we’re often talking sheaths and empires, so you’ll want trad bridal labels for a fuller gown, but if elegantly understated is the name of the game, Monsoon has got to be a front-runner. Numbers-wise, think around £129 to £399 – but they have been known to do designs for as little as £85.

Phase Eight

On the whole another member of the sheaths and empires brigade, there’s the odd slightly fuller or shorter skirt here – but the thing you’ll get from Phase Eight is that little bit of extra embellishment. Tapework, lace and beading have all featured in their collections, and prices have ranged from about £130 to £750.

T.K. Maxx

There’s been a lot of furore about T.K. Maxx launching a bridalwear department – mostly because in true T.K. style they’re not creating their own dresses, they’re flogging designer ones on the cheap. To be clear, we’re not talking Marc Jacobs or Vivienne Westwood here – the gowns are by a select few names with RRPs up to about the £2,545 bracket, and Maxx pricetags often between around £119.99 and £699.99.

In our price range, think dresses of the fuller, flouncier kind, with skirts running the gamut from ballgown to mermaid and A-line. They’ve also stocked the occasional dramatic twist in ruffled red, as well as slighter cuts with lacy sleeves and elaborate embellishment.

The labels? Look up Annais Bridal, Christian Wu, Dere Kiang, Donna Lee Designs, Hollywood Dreams, House of Wu, Jacquelin Exclusive, Sue Wong and Tracy Connop and you’ll get the idea.

Best for: Mini-budget brides. In traditional wedding world, £500 is considered inexpensive for a bridal gown. In the real world, it’s four or five times more than many of us have ever spent on a dress. Happily though, high-street bridalwear often comes in at under £300, with many shorter styles available for less than half that. And let’s not forget: if you’ve got your eye on something more expensive, it can be worth hanging on for the frequent sales on some brands.

Bride or Bridesmaid?

Remember those gorgeous bridesmaid dresses you saw in that wedding magazine that turned out to be way over budget? I bet they’re not more than you’ve pencilled in for your gown, are they? The thing with maids’ dresses is that they are occasionwear – they’re made with luxury and elegance in mind – but since very few people would pay more than a few hundred pounds per bridesmaid, they’re rarely out of the realms of your bridal budget.

I’m not even suggesting you go for an offbeat colour if that’s not your thing – there are lots of brands that offer their bridesmaid dresses in cream or white. And if you were looking for a simple, cute style anyway, why not save the pennies – after all, it’s not like your guests will be any the wiser.

Here are a few fave bridesmaid brands whose gowns would make for some seriously chic brides – and since most styles are priced at around £100 to £200, they’ll be pretty damn smug too…

Dessy

Simple elegance is what it’s all about at Dessy: swingy chiffon column dresses that wouldn’t look out of place on a far-flung beach, and slinky, sophisticated satin and charmeuse for understated glamour.

If you’ve got an unusual cut in mind – off-the-shoulder, cowl back or asymmetric neckline, for instance – there’s a good chance you’ll find it here, and the same goes for hard-to-get colours. Most gowns are available in ivory or white but if you’re feeling crazy, some styles even come in polka dots and prints – and you can order ‘extra length’ versions if you’re a taller Mrs-to-be.

Impression

Sheer overlays, ruffled necklines and hankie hems make Impression’s bridesmaid range one to watch if you dare to be different on your big day. Many of their looks have a laidback prom or party feel, so if you’re the type of bride who’s known for bucking trends, partying ’til dawn and doing things your own way, this multi-tonal lot – most gowns are available in white – could be the collection for you.

Kelsey Rose

I admit it: I’ve had a thing for Kelsey Rose maids dresses for a while now. In fact, if you ask me, they’re pretty much the height of bridesmaid chic. They’re mostly modern, fitted and – dare I say it – even cool, with a few cute retro-inspired shorter skirts in the mix too. They’re a smart bet for a range of necklines – strapless, one-shoulder, halter – and where ruffles do appear they’re minimalist and finished with contemporary finesse. To top it all off, dresses come in an insane amount of colours, with most styles available in white, ivory and champagne for more trad brides.

Love By Enzoani

Enzoani regularly rock the bridesmaid world with their off-the-wall collections – we’re talking that fierce embellished, coat-cut gown in magenta and their feather-light, breeze-catching daydream in lilac. If you’re after a statement look like no other, this is the label for you – just bear in mind that for the most part you’ll have to sacrifice shade for style: dresses often come in pastels and scene-stealing black, but I wouldn’t set your heart on hard-to-come-by white.

Mori Lee

Their straight-up Bridesmaids collection is usually wall-to-wall floor-length satin and chiffon in sheaths, empires and columns. Most looks come in classic bridal colours and necklines go from romantic sweethearts to off-one-shoulders and halters – in short: floaty beach bride or city sophisticate.

Then there’s the Affairs collection. Styles are normally shorter, lacier and on the whole go for a lot more of a ‘fun and flirty’ vibe, though you can also find versions of some of the Bridesmaids dresses here with hiked hemlines.

The Angelina Faccenda Bridesmaids collection is generally more like the first than the second – expect city-slicker classics along with a few pre-knee cuts, and more chances taken on the detailing side.

In all the Mori Lee collections though, be aware that the few taffeta dresses rarely come in whites, creams or ivories like the chiffon and satin do – instead, be prepared to compromise with something subtle like a gorgeously glowy champagne.

Best for: Barely-there-budget brides. If you haven’t got time to wait for the sales on the high street and your numbers won’t stretch much beyond £100 to £200, downsize your skirt and your outlay – then put your actual bridesmaids in a prettily styled, more low-key jersey number.

Surprisingly Doable Designer

Before I start on this one, let me say that these are not the only designer dresses I’ve got for you – there are lots of other options in a more strictly bridal style in the upcoming section – but I thought it was worth noting that if you’re up for a not-so formal, unconventional get-together, there are both glam and laidback designer looks that are out there for less than you think.

Moschino Cheap and Chic

I’ll be honest: the bridal possibilities here are few and far between – don’t expect floor-length and be prepared to compromise on colour – but in the past I’ve seen a shimmering, cowl-neck, knee-length number that took the lame out of lamé for £509, while a pretty beige, lace look with waist bow made vintage-cute an affordable £407.

Proving beyond a doubt that the name’s a total misnomer though, you’re just as likely to find something in the straightforward Moschino range – I once spotted a wrapover V-neck in creamy crepe for £509, and a pastel-pink ruched boatneck for £446.

Alternatively there’s Love Moschino, where I’ve seen a registry office-perfect long-sleeve, funnel-neck jersey dress for £177, and a relaxed, white lamé-jersey dress with one short sleeve for £229.

Net-a-Porter

If you’re willing to go as high with your hemline as your flavour of fashion, this online mecca could be a port of call. They do stock a bridal range, but unless you’re ready for your credit card to take a battering, I’d steer clear.

Instead, take one of my top tips: narrow your search to dresses, click on the colours you’re happy with – from white, neutral and silver to metallic, gold and pink – and arrange by price, from low to high. Then hold tight to resist temptation: be sure to only browse as far as your budget allows.

If you’re after the all-out, floor-length white designer stunner, this isn’t the way to get it (the next section is), but if you’re looking for something low-key in a cute, Bradshaw-weds-Big registry-office number, this could be for you. The trick is to find the luxe not in the length but the fabric: that short, well-cut look in jersey won’t do it, but in satin-trimmed lace you’re indulgently casual-cute.

Not convinced? Here’s some of the hot stuff I’ve found this way: Malene Birger had a cream, ruffled, mid-thigh lace number up for £310; Anna Sui debuted a daring long-sleeve mesh and satin look that was not for the faint-hearted – or strait-laced mothers-in-law – at £375; Alice + Olivia had me at “hellooo” with a slinky, beach-ready silk maxi for £395; Antik Batik went all ornate and elaborate in a silk blend with cheeky open back for £420; and there was a near-homage to Bradshaw in a Burberry London V-neck, high-shoulder style – just add sheeny bling – for £495.

Harrods and Selfridges are a similar story: more big names’ short dresses in decadent fabrics for £500 and under. Apply the search technique and prepare for some serious knee wobbles!

J.Crew

Yes, some of their bridal gowns are more than £1,000, but if you’re after a short or simply glam ivory style – think columns or sheaths in chiffon, silk or tulle – you’ll still likely spot some picks around the £500-or-less mark. I for one was always a big fan of the floor-skimming boatneck, V-back Corrina and the slinky, square-neck, peekaboo Bettina. Littler brides – like me! – will also love the novelty of several styles actually being available in petite. Buy direct from their website (their wedding section is a do for once), or from the smaller selection over at Net-a-Porter.

Vivenne Westwood Anglomania

If you’re dreaming of a white wedding, walk away now – Viv’s statement, out-there Anglomania collection is for high-fashion brides with a kink in their style. I’ve seen a short-sleeved, knee-length purple number for £435 at Net-a-Porter, while a brocade-print piece with deceptively structured slouchy collar was £345. The collection can also be good for brides who favour the two-piece look – there was a time when you could supply the skirt and Westwood did a romantic red off-the-shoulder top to go with it for £300.

Diane von Furstenberg and Temperley occasionally have the odd short, white, lacy number for under £500, but for the most part the gorgeous gowns outside their out-of-reach bridal collection aren’t so aisle-friendly.

Best for: Laidback, fashion-forward registry office dos. However gorgeous, these looks will get lost in a massive, high-ceilinged or cathedral-type venue, but they’re just right in a more intimate setting, where they’ll let your natural beauty do the talking.