From Preloved Chanel to No Name Vintage: 50+ Vintage Bridal Picks

Plus the breakdown of my secondhand bridal look (with prices) two years later

“I’m thinking I’ll mostly wear vintage for my wedding.”

This is music to my ears. And I hear it all the time. There’s something about the sea of options available for people opting into marriage that can feel overwhelming. Deciding to prioritize vintage? It can be a great place to start.

All my photos were done by the brilliant Freda Banks!

I wore a $82 dress I bought on eBay before we were engaged and hid under our bed. I reworked it with the team at Bode Tailor Shop. And I wore secondhand for everything else because that’s, well that’s kind of my thing. If you’re in the city, try Happy Isles for the most fun vintage shopping experience.

Here are some general thoughts before we dive in. I’ll share more pics from my wedding + the prices for all my secondhand items below!

1. Scouring secondhand sites, getting things adjusted, planning outfits—these things take time! My suggestion is to start on this early because a. it’s the best part of planning and b. you might need a few months to iron out details.

2. Here’s a rule I made up for how much a normal person should spend on a wedding outfit. Take the most expensive piece of clothing you’ve ever purchased (For me, it’s maybe $500 on a bag or something) and times it by 2.5 for your budget. Using this rule, I should spend ~ $1,250 on my wedding outfit. This is almost exactly where I landed!

   1. If money is no object, ignore! I just thought it was a helpful mindset for me.

3. Weddings bring out shit for everyone. So when someone comments on what you’re planning to wear, they’re really commenting on what they hope to wear or what they regret wearing. Ignore them. Not their marriage!

4. No wedding outfit is worth starving yourself for. I made the decision not to wear a silky slip for this exact reason. I bravely ate breakfast and three slices of cake on my wedding day. And everything was ok.

   

   Christian rented this tux and I got him a chic bowtie from P. Johnson