Vera Wang bridal gowns will go on sale at a new Browns store in London

Vera Wang wedding dresses will go on sale in the UK after Browns revealed they will open a London based store dedicated to renowned wedding dress designer.

The UK store, Browns Brides, will feature two entire floors and 1,200 sq feet of retail space devoted to the Vera Wang Bridal Emporium. The couture gowns will be showcased where Browns Shoes once stood, right opposite the swanky Claridges Hotel in London. Browns Shoes is in the process of relocating to make way for the bridal collection.

The American wedding dress designer is thrilled to be partnering up with Browns and to have her dresses on sale in the London as the 61-year-old regards the UK’s capital as one of the “most cosmopolitan cities in the world.”

During her 20 plus years designing wedding gowns, Vera Wang has created wedding dresses for some of the biggest names including most recently, Chelsea Clinton, and also bridal gowns for Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston, Uma Thurman and Alicia Keyes plus many, many more.

2011 is shaping up to be a very busy year for the New York based designer as Vera Wang has released a collection of affordable wedding dresses in the US this week in partnership with David’s Bridal. The White by Vera Wang collection features 12 stunning gowns, minus the designer price tag; the most expensive dress in the new White range is $1,400.

Stay in touch for the latest news on the launch of Vera Wang at Browns of London.

Clevedon charity shop has reduced their wedding dress prices by 50%

A charity shop in Clevedon, North Somerset, has slashed the prices on its wedding dresses by a massive 50% for the whole of February as the CLIC Sargent shop revealed its overrun with bridal gowns.

The charity shop has over 40 wedding dresses in stock, many of which are designer gowns with original price tags of over a thousand pounds. The managers at the shop decided it was time for a clear out, and so the prices on all of their wedding dresses have been reduced by half for 4 weeks.

The average bride in Britain will spend approximately £1,250 on their outfit for the big day, however the price of wedding gowns at the CLIC Sargent shop in North Somerset start from just £20, with the most expensive coming in at £100. Plus the dresses are available in a wide range of sizes, from dress size 8-24, and with the money you’ve saved on your frock, you’ll have plenty left over for alterations to make your gown made-to-measure.

Kyrstie Rich, assistant manager of the Clevedon shop, said they’re keen to sell as many of the dresses as soon as possible and raise funds for charity. Many of the dresses have been donated from wedding fairs, and also by former brides, and all are in excellent condition.

As well as rows and rows of wedding dresses, the Clevedon CLIC Sargent charity shop also has bridesmaid shoes and dresses for sale as well as hats, ideal if you’re attending a wedding this year as a guest.

Bride Helene Manca bought 18 dresses for her wedding day

For one bride from Surrey, one wedding dress really wasn’t enough as the 25-year-old ended up with a wardrobe stuffed full with 18 gowns by the time the big day arrived.

Helene Manca estimates she spent £20,000 on her selection of wedding gowns, the average amount most couples in the UK spend on the whole of their big day. However with a wardrobe bursting to the seams with lace and ivory taffeta, even shopaholic Helene had to admit, she had gone slightly over the top.

When the big day arrived, model Helene managed to choose just 9 out of the 18 dresses to wear throughout the big day. The blushing bride decided to change her dress at various intervals throughout the wedding day, wearing one dress for the ceremony, another for the photographs, etc.

The wedding dresses ranged in style and price with the most expensive designer gown costing an eye-watering £5,500, and the cheapest dress coming in at £220 from the sale at popular high street store, Monsoon. Helene paid for eight out of the nine dresses she wore on the big day herself, with her parents paying for the most expensive gown as a special gift.

Of the nine dresses Helene was unable to wear when she married her long-term partner, Joe Glass, one was returned to the shop, three were donated to charity, and five were sold on eBay.

The good news for wedding dress boutiques in Guildford area is that the 25-year-old is planning to renew her vows to her new husband next summer, and she’ll be buying 10 dresses especially for the occasion – we’re not even kidding!

The charity has been giving away wedding gowns to American military brides since 2007

An American charity will be giving away designer wedding dresses to military brides to celebrate Veteran’s Day in the US.

The wedding dress giveaway, organised by Brides Across America, is part of a nationwide project to ensure military brides across the country are able to have the dream wedding they’ve always wanted.

Wedding dresses have been donated by bridal shops across the US as part of the charity project. A range of dresses from top designers such as Vera Wang, Pronovias, and Amsale will be available as part of the Veteran’s Day giveaway. The dresses will be available in a variety of sizes from 4 – 22, with price tags ranging from $400 – $3,000, although the gowns will be free to the military brides.

With many members of the military returning home from active service with injuries, some of these individuals see their pay reduced, which means many have to go without the wedding they dreamed of.

Brides Across America is aiming to help all couples connected to the US military to have the wedding day they deserve. To be eligible for a free wedding dress from the charity you must be engaged, and either you or your fiancé must have been on active duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Official papers will be required to verify the bride’s connection to the military.

A collection of wedding dresses which can be broken down into new garments has gone on display in Sheffield

A group of student fashion designers at Sheffield Hallam University have been working in-conjunction with engineering students to create a wedding dress which can be broken down and used as 5 other garments.

The idea behind the dress is to challenge society’s addiction to throwaway fashion. As the most symbolic garment a woman will ever own, and also likely to be one of the most expensive items of clothing she will ever buy, it was deemed the ideal example for use in the exhibition.

The seams holding the wedding dresses together have been designed to dissolve when they come into contact to water. The different pieces can then be broken down and used to make another garment. The different stages of the transformation process from fully functioning wedding dress, to new garment are on display as part of the exhibition.

The wedding dresses combine fashion and technology and explore the possibility of using alternative materials for dress making. Textile waste is one of the fastest growing waste groups in the UK and the fashion students hope that their exhibition will make people think about the impact disposable fashion is having on the environment.

The re-useable wedding dress exhibition, A Sustainable Marriage, is on display at the Furnival Building at Arundel Gate.

The new Mrs Mapletoft with her 99p wedding dress

Bride-to-be Natalie Bellamy made the mistake of falling in love with a £700 dress in her local wedding shop. Although it was beyond doubt, her dream dress, it was also way beyond her budget.

Undeterred in her quest to have the perfect wedding dress, the inventive 30-year old from Somerset turned to EBay to seek out an affordable alternative, and she certainly succeeded. After coming across a wedding tailoring service in Hong Kong and finding a near identical dress, Natalie sent her measurements to the overseas company who set to work on creating her dream dress on the cheap.

After just three weeks, the dress arrived. The overall price of the dress did rise to £87 after adding in the cost of shipping and alterations, but was still an absolute bargain. It also meant the bride saved herself a whopping £613 by opting for the EBay dress as opposed to the original gown from the local shop. The new Mrs Mapletoft said her husband said she looked “absolutely gorgeous” as she walked up the aisle, not bad for a 99p frock.

The mother-of-two revealed she did have her doubts over the scheme to begin with, “I didn’t know what to expect but it fitted perfectly and all the sequins had been hand-sewn. The quality was amazing. My friends couldn’t believe it only cost 99p, they all said I looked stunning.”

Following the success of her EBay dress, the frugal bride also utilised the online site to source other wedding articles such as invitations and decorations. They couple estimated they made an overall saving of £6,000 by shopping around and sniffing out a few bargains on the website.