Wedding Dress Rentals – The New Trend
Since the news broke that Boris Johnson’s wife had rented her wedding dress, the demand for rental bridal gowns is sure to grow and grow. The new Mrs Johnson rented three dresses to throw people off the scent ahead of the couples’ secret wedding from the English eco-fashion business My Wardrobe HQ. The online and in-person shop specialises in luxury dress rentals and accessories with over 500 designers to choose from.
Carrie Johnson’s stunning boho-chic gown by Greek designer Christos Castarellos should have cost £2,870 new,
Apparently, she rented it for just £45 per day.
The 33-year-old bride, hired her £2,870 wedding dress for just £45
Say Yes To The Borrowed Dress
Rentals usually go for a fraction of the cost for a one-off designer gown that might otherwise be out of your price range. You can save on bridesmaid and flower girl dresses as well as accessories too, so they can sort you out from head to toe. There are options for everyone.
Some places offer an online service only, while others provide an in-person fitting service that means your dress will be tailored perfectly to your fame and silhouette.
Bridal Rental Isn’t Anything New
I rented my dress back in the 80s, and back then, that is what we did!
But unfortunately, it was the arrival of fast fashion that displaced fashion rental from the high-street.
Hiring Your Wedding Dress Could Be One Way To Keep Costs Down
The cost of getting married can set couples back over €30k. After more than a year of Covid-related restrictions that pushed couples to postpone or downsize their weddings, dress rental offers brides an easy option that allows for last-minute changes.
I’m sure there will be plenty of brides questioning if they really want to invest anywhere the region of €2,000 of their hard-earned cash on the dress alone.
While it all sounds very romantic finding the dress, hiring your gown can be a brilliant saving on the overall budget, and you don’t have to compromise on style one little bit.
Post-Pandemic Success
Since the Pandemic, the Fashion Rental Industry had been the success story Of 2020.
According to fashion search platform Lyst, “there has been a 93{619a3c8b1f8a18e6647bfd73a853e0c63177444a908d5a5aa58714055aa8e4d1} increase in views of pre-owned wedding dresses, with a 42{619a3c8b1f8a18e6647bfd73a853e0c63177444a908d5a5aa58714055aa8e4d1} increase for wedding dress searches including the word “second hand” year on year.
Rent The Runaway the pioneering platform for designer rentals, has seen a massive boom in demand in recent years.
Where Can I Hire My Wedding Dress?
By Rotation is a peer-to-peer service where private lenders and renters manage the process themselves with no interference from the business. A kind of Airbnb, but for clothes. By Rotation said searches for bridalwear has surged by 650{619a3c8b1f8a18e6647bfd73a853e0c63177444a908d5a5aa58714055aa8e4d1} since March 2020.
A Stella McCartney gown worth above £2,000 on By Rotation can be yours for just £60 a day with a minimum rental period of three days.
And a Lila Rose Green Gables gown which sells for around £6,000, can be bought second hand for £2,000.
Vintage Wedding Dress, UK8 from £200
Meanwhile, My Wardrobe HQ holds items from independent sellers and unsold stock from various brands. They use recycled packaging, green couriers and ozone cleaning. This process eliminates bacteria and viruses (popular right now for obvious reasons).
Tony Ward – rent £60 /day. (RRP £3925)
Selfridges launched its own rental service in collaboration with the platform HURR. Anyone can sign up to the app to either rent their own dress or hire someone else’s— HURR stock size 6 to size 24. Customers can rent items for 8 to 20 days, which gives you the flexibility to have your dress for a few days before or a few days after.
Something Borrowed Bridal offers brides the choice of about 90 gowns from designers including Maggie Sottero and Morilee to hire for £250 to £450 a week.
Want To Try UK Dress Rental Websites?
Girl Meets Dress – offers a try-on service. For £30, you can have a selection of dresses sent to you to try on before you decide on your final choice.
£129.00
ARIELLA Sequin Fishtail Gown
£79.00
W Wedding Bridal , The Bridal Gallery, Something Borrowed Bridal – with the average gown costing between £260 to £450 to hire.
Our Moire – Gowns come directly from designers, which means that the dress was worn for a photoshoot or runway show and is not being hired out for a sip of the price it would cost to buy. Sizes run through from a size 5 to 16.
Want To Try Irish Rental Bridal Dress Options?
The Ivory Closet in Limerick has some STUNNING designer gowns. Both the bride and bridesmaids could be styled to perfection with a selection of sparkly embellished Rachel Gilbert dresses, or a chic body sculpting gown by Alex Perry.
Covet in Powerscourt Centre, Dublin – pegged as the borrower’s boudoir has even created its own collection to rent or buy. They rent bridal and bridesmaid dresses for prices starting from €50. They stock a huge range of high-end designers such as Alice Temperley, Badgley Mischa, Alexander McQueen, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, and Prada. You can make the dress for three days (or longer subject to agreement), and they offer a 10{619a3c8b1f8a18e6647bfd73a853e0c63177444a908d5a5aa58714055aa8e4d1} discount on bookings for 4 or more. In addition, Covet offers you the real wedding dress shopping experience with a private appointment for you and your bridal tribe.
Brides First Choice in Limerick is a family run business successfully operating since 2008. They offer sale and rent options for your bridal, bridesmaids and debs outfits, flower girl or communion dresses too. As well as their own designs, they stock such designers as Tesoro, Ariamo and Natalya Shubina (all exclusive to Ireland),
Want To Buy A Sale Stock Wedding Dress?
Bridal Village – Boutiques all over Ireland have been posting their sale stock of wedding dresses on Bridalvillage.ie with as much as 70{619a3c8b1f8a18e6647bfd73a853e0c63177444a908d5a5aa58714055aa8e4d1} Off the original price. These are sample wedding dresses that have been tried on in the bridal boutique but has not been worn by a bride.
They also have a huge selection of Day-after-dresses, Mother-of-the-bride, groom, wedding Guests Outfits, not forgetting the bridal party.
Smart Brides, Portlaoise. Sisters Kelly and Adele stock high-end designer pieces available to buy from €599 with at least 70{619a3c8b1f8a18e6647bfd73a853e0c63177444a908d5a5aa58714055aa8e4d1} off the RRP.
B Couture opened its boutique in Arclow, Co. wicklow in 2005. Most of the samples are reduced by 70{619a3c8b1f8a18e6647bfd73a853e0c63177444a908d5a5aa58714055aa8e4d1} and in perfect condition.
Rosemantique Boutique in Lismore, Co. Waterford stocks Jenn Packham, Stepanie allin, Claire Pettibone, Makaella, and more.
Want Help Deciding On The One? (The weddings dress of course)
No doubt ever since being engaged, you’ve been asked a dizzying array of wedding questions – what type of dress do you like, are you wearing sleeves, who’s your favourite designer, how many bridesmaids, how many are coming, where’s the venue? Who knew wedding dress planning could be so stressful?
But worry not, as your personal stylist, I am here to give you head to toe advice on everything from your Makeup to your hairstyle, the Colour and style of dress to the perfect accessories and underwear. My Bridal Consultations include the entire bridal party, from bridesmaids to mother of the bride and not forgetting the groom, of course.
Another popular bride request is for the styling of all the events surrounding her wedding, from the engagement party to the honeymoon.
I even put together a simple “lookbook” just for the bride so she can get an idea of every item needed from start to finish.
