What sort of wedding dress did you wear (or are you planning to wear)?

The majority of brides choose to buy a new wedding dress to get married in according to an Easy Weddings poll. Although some brides do choose a pre-loved gown, and others can’t decide which way to go, it seems that most like the idea of a brand new dress to walk down the aisle.

Out of more than 900 brides that took part in the poll, a significant 85% said that they had worn, or were planning to wear, a brand new wedding dress on the big day. Given that a wedding is a once in a lifetime occasion, and that the bride will be the centre of attention, it’s probably not surprising that brides feel justified in splashing out to get a new wedding dress. The increased availability of budget, or high street wedding dresses might also mean that brides don’t need to look for a second hand dress in order to save money.

Only 5% of the brides that took the poll were getting married in a pre-loved dress. Perhaps with the current emphasis on recycling and sustainability, that figure could have been expected to be a little higher. The main advantage of a pre-loved gown is the ability to find a stunning designer gown at a fraction of the price it would cost new. However, many brides may find it difficult to find a pre-loved style they want in the right size and colour. Why not check out our pre-loved section to see what’s on offer? 9% of the brides that took the poll were undecided about what type of dress to buy, so perhaps they will opt for pre-loved in the end!

With only 1% of the brides that took part in the poll reporting that they were wearing a dress passed down by a family member, it is clear that the tradition of handing down wedding dresses through families is becoming very rare. This could be because styles are changing rapidly and dresses that were in fashion when mums or aunts got married would look very dated these days. It could also be that family heirloom dresses are the wrong size or shape for modern brides.