Bridal shop owner collecting dresses for charity

Bridal shop owner Becky Murtagh, who runs Nancy Jane Bridal in Stretford, is doing her bit for charity by collecting used bridal gowns for local charity, St Ann’s Hospice.

The hospice has its own specialist bridal store in Cheadle where it raises money through selling second hand wedding gowns. Bridal shop owner Becky has been helping out the charity store by collecting the dresses, cleaning, and running repairs on them if needed, in order for the charity to sell them on and raise much needed funds.

Becky even made the ultimate sacrifice herself and donated her own wedding dress, which she wore to tie the knot with husband Mark three years ago. The mother of two admitted it was a tough decision to make, as such a garment holds great sentimental value, but conceded she’d never wear it again, so it was right to pass it on.

As well as bridal dresses, the charity also collects other items such as groom and page boy suits, bridesmaid and flower girl dresses, and even accessories such as tiaras, shoes and handbags. Becky says she’s even encouraged her own bridesmaids to give up their dresses for the St Ann’s Hospice.

29-year-old Becky has been donating second hand wedding dresses to St Ann’s Hospice since she set up her business in 2007. The charity say they are very grateful for the work Becky puts in, and know they can always rely on dresses arriving from her in immaculate condition.

The trend for vintage wedding dresses is bigger than ever

A woman from Leeds is planning her second vintage wedding fair for this September after her first one was a runaway success.

Keeley Harris from Leeds runs her own vintage clothing and home ware store and came up with the idea for a wedding fair featuring gowns and decorations from bygone eras after being inundated with request from brides organising vintage-themed weddings.

Ms Harris believes there is a serious gap in the market for vintage wedding dresses, and as therefore started specialising in the provision of wedding gowns from a variety of different decades including 1940’s right through to the 1970’s for brides-to-be.

Buying vintage is not only fashionable right now, it’s also a very wise choice for brides on a budget. The average wedding dress bought new costs in the region of £1,000, however a pre-loved vintage gown can be picked up from anything between £50-£600.

One of the biggest challenges with vintage garments is the size. Dresses from the 1940’s are often small as they come from an era when the country was on rations during the war. Not surprisingly the waistlines of 1940’s ladies were especially tiny which often means that only the most petite modern ladies can fit in garments from the 40’s. However dresses from the 1950’s are a lot more wearable as figures of women were more curvaceous and varied, resulting in a wider choice of sizes.

The second vintage wedding fair is currently being organised and will be on a bigger scale this time round, with a larger venue and more suppliers, following the overwhelming demand at the first event.