In the UK, the average lifetime for a clothing garment is 2.2 years. The value of unused clothing in wardrobes is £30 billion, with each household’s annual textile footprint the equivalent of driving a car for 6,000 miles and uses an amount of water equal to filling 1,000 bathtubs!
Choosing a wedding dress is the most exciting part of wedding planning for many brides, here are some things to consider if you want to get the dress of your dreams without costing the planet.
The Dress
In 2026, the Bridebook UK Wedding Report found that the average cost of a wedding dress in the UK is £1,532. So, if you’re looking to reduce the cost of your big day, the dress is a good place to start!
The most sustainable option is to use something you already own. Most of us don’t already own a fancy ball gown or wedding dress, but have you considered upcycling your Mum’s? Alternatively, does someone else in the family have a dress which has been sitting in the attic for decades and just needs a little love? The vintage styles often come back into fashion and it would have great sentimental value.
The second most sustainable option is to rent. Search online for a formal clothing boutique near you that offers rentals. Is the cost of something you will only wear once worth it when you can hire a higher quality designer dress that you’d otherwise be unable to afford? Something Borrowed, Hurr, Girls Meets Dress and places like Debenhams have great ranges of wedding dresses, accessories and men’s formal suits.
If you desire to buy a dress to keep, can you investigate buying second-hand or vintage? A wedding dress is often only worn once, hence second-hand dresses look like new, while being cheaper and more sustainable. In Exeter, the second-hand wedding dress shop La Boutique sells pre-loved dresses and all profits go to a charity that pay for weddings for people with terminal illness. Gumtree, Oxfam, Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Bride2Bride offer second-hand dresses from designers online.
Tip: Why not try on dresses in your local shop to find your perfect fit and see if you can find the exact or similar dress second-hand?
Another sustainable option if you’ve decided to buy “the perfect” dress new is to buy one versatile enough that could be altered and re-worn for years after you tie the knot. View some wedding upcycling inspiration here.
Bridesmaid Dresses
Options for choosing sustainable bridesmaid dresses looks very similar to that of choosing a wedding dress (above).
The most sustainable option would be choosing something you or your bridesmaids already own. It’s trendy to have dresses which don’t match but follow the same colour pallet, so why not try coordinating your wardrobes and see if you can put together dresses of different styles and colours that would work for your wedding?
Alternatively, look second-hand, vintage or renting. If you do decide to buy new, ensure the dresses can be worn many more times for lots of different occasions.
Guests
When setting a dress code for your guests, think about sustainability and affordability. Strict colour-themed dress codes make it more likely that a guest has to spend money on a new outfit.
Consider including guidance in your invite or on your wedding website to make guests feel as though they don’t need to buy something new and to encourage them think about their sustainability choices for the day. You could signpost to some rental sites for inspiration too!
More Sustainable Weddings and Events blogs:
Sustainable Weddings and Events – Gifts
Sustainable Weddings and Events – Food and Drink
