We were quoted £23K for our dream wedding but DIY-ed it and saved £16K – my dress was just £54 from Shein
A THRIFTY bride managed to enjoy a luxury wedding on shoestring – by scavenging decorations from parks and gardens and buying her £54 dress from Shein.
Debbie and Darran Brannigan, tied the knot on May 31 and saved a whopping £16,000 thanks to Black Friday deals and Shein offers.
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The frugal mum-of-five even drove around scouting out spots to take cuttings of foliage, ivy and ferns from parks and her garden, which was used as decor in her bridal bouquet and buttonholes.
The couple, both event security officers, wanted a luxury wedding without the hefty £23,000 price tag – the average price paid in the UK according to wedding planning website Hitched.
The couple managed to keep costs substantially lower, eventually splashing out just £6,632 from their savings.
Debbie, who had her heart set on a ‘stunning’ gown from a high street bridal retailer, felt she couldn’t justify the £1,400 price tag so turned online detective to hunt for a budget dupe.
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The savvy 60-year-old spotted a similar design for just £54 on Shein so snapped it up along with £56 suits for 52-year-old Darren, the best man and ushers.
The bridesmaid dresses were snapped up in a Monsoon sale for just £12, the wedding cake was baked by Debbie’s daughter and the rest of the decor was sourced on Shein.
The self-professed ‘scruffy rocker’ said guests were gobsmacked to see her look so glam on her big day and says ‘it shows you don’t have to get into debt to have a beautiful wedding’.
Debbie, from Willenhall, West Midlands, said: “Weddings can cost an absolute fortune, that’s why I did it on a budget.
“We’re good at saving, when you save money it’s nice to see it well spent.
“I tried a dress on and it was phenomenal. I decided at the age of 60 I was going to make an entrance.
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“It was beautiful. This dress had a train and a half, it was stunning, but it was £1,450.
“I decided to research the dress and ordered 12 dresses until I chose that one [and sent the others back].
“We’re scruffy rockers who wear jeans and t-shirts so I decided I was going to make an entrance – because of my age and I don’t plan to ever get married again.
“I wanted the dress to be ‘hippy boho’ and I wanted something with long arms to cover my tattoos to respect the church as well.
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“I liked the cut of it, the dress had four layers, it had a lace train and it was so beautiful.
“I couldn’t believe how cheap it was, it was exactly what I wanted, so it was a no-brainer.
“Shein has a reputation for being cheap but it didn’t look cheap, it looked like an expensive dress.
“The bouquet was all fresh flowers. All the greenery, the ivy and ferns, I cut down from mine and my friend’s garden and parks in Birmingham.
“I just drove around looking for it and it cut it down. I used it in my bouquet and the buttonholes.
“If we can get the ferns and the ivy from the park and garden there’s no point in buying it, is there?”
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DISCOUNTED VENUE
Debbie booked St Giles church in Willenhall, West Midlands, as their wedding venue before heading to Oak Farm Hotel in Cannock, Staffordshire, booking during a Black Friday sale.
The reception at Oak Farm Hotel in Cannock, Staffordshire, was decorated entirely using Shein finds, with guests enjoying cake baked by her daughter.
Debbie said: “I signed up to the venue’s mailing list and they sent an email for Black Friday.
“They did a really big reduction, this was a really good offer so we decided to take up on it.
“All the church was dressed with things from Shein – including the bows and silk flowers on the ends of pews.
“We made all the table decorations and the balloons, wedding arches, candles, from Shein.
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“To hire the ‘love’ letters was £160, so I bought them off Shein for £15 each letter.
“We’re going to recycle everything and sell them to people. It felt really good not to be a scruffy rocker but a beautiful bride.
“There was shock on everybody’s faces because they’ve never seen me in a frock, no-one’s seen me dressed up really.
“I don’t think they thought I could scrub up like that.
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“It’s not true that you can’t do a wedding on a budget. It would gut me if I’d bought that £1,400 dress.
“It just goes to show you don’t have to get into debt to have a beautiful wedding.”
Wedding costs
- Church donation – £950 (including church flowers, choir and bell ringers)
- Wedding reception venue – £3,995 – Black Friday offer
- Bride’s dress – £54 – Shein
- Bride’s shoes – Monsoon shoes RRP £170 – bought from charity shop for £5
- Fresh peonies – £50
- Groom’s suit, shirt, tie and shoes- £71 – Shein
- Best man and ushers outfit – £71 x 3 (£213 total) – Shein
- Bridesmaid dresses – £12 x 3 (£36 total) – Monsoon sale
- Fresh peonies – £50
- Wedding rings – £99 (£198 total) in Warren James sale
- Hair and make-up – £60
- Photographer – done by photographer friend for £350
- Shein decorations – £600
- Car hire – wedding gift from friends
- Bouquet and buttonhole flowers – £40 (paid by Debbie’s mum)
- Foliage decor (used in buttonholes and bouquet) – free, sourced from gardens and parks
- Wedding cake – free, baked by daughter
TOTAL COST = £6,632