A savvy bride bought a designer wedding dress second-hand from Vinted and saved £3.5k.<br /><br />Alice Bolster, 30, has always loved pre-loved fashion and had her heart set on getting a second-hand wedding dress.<br /><br />She spent time curating a Pinterest board of antique and vintage style ideas.<br /><br />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".<br /><br />Alice continued to look on Vinted and couldn't believe it when she found a her "dream" Vivienne Westwood dress - worth around £5k to £6k new.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Alice, a graphic designer, from Teddington, London, said: "I never felt it was an option to get a new wedding dress.<br /><br />"It wouldn't have felt authentic. I would have felt guilty.<br /><br />"I clicked on wedding dresses and put in the brand in as Vivienne Westwood.<br /><br />"This one came up for £2.8k.<br /><br />"I thought 'Oh my god, I love it so much'. <br /><br />"I messaged asking about measurements and asked 'would you do it for £2.5k?'.<br /><br />"It's literally my dream dress.<br /><br />"It just fit like an absolute glove. It was meant to be."<br /><br />Alice grew up with her mum, Ruth Darby, 63, who advocated for second-hand and vintage fashion.<br /><br />She said: "She'd be grumpy with me if I had an ASOS order arrive."<br /><br />Alice now shops primarily pre-loved herself and says her wardrobe is 95 per cent second-hand.<br /><br />She shops from car boot sales, charity shops, and Vinted and Depop.<br /><br />She set up her own business We Go Full Circle in October 2021 where she sells vintage pieces she finds and styles.<br /><br />When her now-husband, George Bolster, 30, a consultant, proposed in June 2023 Alice knew she wanted to find a second-hand wedding dress.<br /><br />She said: "I really wanted a second-hand one. I wasn't sure what I wanted."<br /><br />Alice set herself a top budget of £2.5k to £3k but initially to find the ideal dress for under £4k.<br /><br />She found a dress in charity bridal store but wasn't set on it.<br /><br />Alice said: "I wasn't sure it was definitely the one.<br /><br />"I kept torturing myself looking on Vinted."<br /><br />But when Alice stumbled across the Vivienne Westwood in January 2024 she knew she had to get it.<br /><br />She said: "I knew I loved it. I had a vision.<br /><br />"It fit perfectly.<br /><br />"It was quite a steal."<br /><br />Alice believes her style was worth around £5k to £6k.<br /><br />She also gave her bridesmaids £30 each to find a second hand outfit for her wedding - with most finding their dresses on Vinted.<br /><br />Her mum, who works in Oxfam, wore a 1920s vintage blouse and green satin trousers that she already owned.<br /><br />Her dad, Andrew Darby, 65, a retired accountant, wore a suit he has had since the 1990s.<br /><br />Alice loved wearing her dress on the day.<br /><br />She said: "It just felt like it was the one - the one I dreamed of.<br /><br />"It made me feel special and beautiful.<br /><br />"There are so many second-hand dresses out there."
