When I got married in 2010 I was dismayed to find that a lot of the wedding dresses available in high street shops within my budget were all a bit samey. They tended to be white (with perhaps a very few in ivory or pale pink), strapless and corseted with long bouffy skirts, and perhaps a bit of lace or diamante decoration.
Essentially, if you want a classic white wedding you’re spoilt for choice. But if not…? Well, in the end my talented Auntie Betty came to the rescue with the help of a 1950s vintage Vogue pattern and some ivory silk brocade:
Being pelted with confetti on our way to the reception…
But not everyone has access to an Auntie Betty. What do you do if you want a wedding dress that reflects your personal style and the character of your wedding, but you don’t have an unlimited budget? Etsy could well be your new best friend. Here are just a few stunning examples I found on the site from UK sellers:
1) The Chic City Wedding
You’re getting married in a fashionable little boutique hotel in the city. The reception is at an underground club with your favourite DJ where you, your partner and your friends will drink and dance until dawn.
Anna Popovich’s gorgeous Marilyn draped silk dress
2) The Wild Woodland Wedding
The wedding is set in a beautiful wood or forest, carpeted with bluebells. The reception is a veggie buffet and your friend’s band is set to play while you drink locally-made cider and watch the stars come out.
Oshun’s beautiful, ethereal Tattered Fairy dress
3) The Roaring 20′s Vintage Wedding
You and your guests are taking over a rambling mansion in the countryside. After a vintage-inspired candlelit supper, guests can enjoy some fabulous burlesque entertainment.
Sarina Poppy’s show-stopping Great Gatsby silk dress in midnight blue
4) The Elegant Mod Wedding
True to your creative roots, you’re getting married in a chic art gallery surrounded by your favourite mid-century masterpieces. You and your guests will then retire to a quiet bar to get squiffy on gin cocktails and dance (badly) to the strains of a talented soul band.
1960s eggshell blue raw silk dress with exquisite beading & embroidery from Penny Dreadful Vintage
5) The Magnificent Metal Wedding
After an intimate ceremony in a baroque, ivy-covered stone chapel, you and your guests will move on to your favourite dive bar where you’ll get the beers in and regale them with your karaoke rendition of Nine Inch Nails classic ‘Head Like A Hole’.
Fabulous Satin Glitter & Bats prom dress from Emerald Angel
Do you have other suggestions for great alternative wedding dresses on Etsy? Share them below or on my Facebook page!
