I got my wedding dress in a charity shop – strangers watched me try it on and told me what one to pick
A SAVVY bride-to-be found her dream wedding dress in a charity shop – and has revealed she’ll donate it back as soon as she’s done with it.
Daisy Welsh, from Penicuik, Midlothian, knew that she didn’t want to spend thousands on a frock after her fiancé, Kris, 43 proposed.
After searching for bargains online, the 42-year-old found out about a charity shop and their selection of wedding dresses from other brides.
Excited at the thought of getting a good deal whilst also giving back to charity, she travelled to the British Red Cross in Stockbridge, Edinburgh with her bridesmaids and her daughter.
Daisy tried on eight gowns before saying yes to her dress – with her mum watching the whole thing on FaceTime from Daisy’s home country of France.
“I always knew that I didn’t really want to spend much money on a dress, because a wedding itself is a lot of money,” she said.
“For me, spending a lot of money on a dress I would only wear once didn’t make much sense – but I still wanted something beautiful.
“I had a look online at some websites that sold dresses, but then I saw posts in bride-to-be groups on Facebook.
“Someone had mentioned the British Red Cross in Stockbridge, so I had a look at their website.
“There were so many good reviews, so I thought, ‘why not?’ “I can get a dress and give money to charity.”
She added: “I phoned straight away and made an appointment. Even though it’s a charity shop, you still have to make an appointment in the bridal section.
“It was really good – they even asked my size so they could set aside some dresses for me before I arrived.”
With the bridal section nestled at the back of the charity shop, the most expensive dress costs just £390.
“I was very surprised – they had so many dresses,” Daisy said.
“They said a lot of the dresses are new or they have been dry cleaned – and if they haven’t been dry cleaned, it was reflected in the price.
“I didn’t know what shape I wanted. I just knew that I didn’t want a mermaid dress, because that wouldn’t suit my body shape.
“I really hesitated between two dresses – my mum really liked one and I preferred another dress.
“My bridesmaids told me to try them both on again, but when I was in the changing room, I heard the shop assistant bring in another dress.
“My bridesmaids were going, ‘I love it, I love it’ – so I wanted to try that one on.
“I knew that that was my dress as soon as I put it on. It was absolutely beautiful.
“People could see me from the charity shop at the front – some people came over to tell me ‘that’s your dress, don’t pick the other ones!’
“It was really nice. Maybe some people would be shy like that, but I loved being the centre of attention – people were really lovely.”
Daisy paid £340 for her dress, and also picked up belt for £40 and a veil for £20 from the same shop.
While the dress will still need alterations, the mum is thrilled to have been able to save money, find her dream dress, and give back to charity at the same time.
Now, she wants to encourage other brides to consider going second-hand on their big day – and will even be returning her dress after her wedding in August.
She said: “The selection of dresses was beautiful, and you can pay a fraction of the price for a beautiful dress.
“Maybe it’s a fraction of the price to you, but to the shop, that’s a lot of money.
“You can buy a dress and do something good at the same time – it checks all the boxes.
“After my wedding day, I’ll give back my dress, so another bride can potentially enjoy it as much as I have.”