Bride, 29, walks down the aisle in £35 wedding dress she found in charity shop the day after she got engaged
- Cat Wilkinson found the white gown in a Sue Ryder charity shop in York
- The Liverpool lecturer tried on the frock as her fiancé shopped downstairs
- She later discovered the £35 dress dates back to the 1950s
- A small number of alterations were made to the dress, including buttons
A bride has unveiled the surprising price tag of her wedding dress – an astonishing £35.
Newlywed Cat Wilkinson, 29, discovered the perfectly fitting frock in a charity shop the day after she got engaged.
The lecturer in education at Liverpool John Moores University tied the knot to boyfriend of five years Mike earlier this month.
Cat Wilkinson, 29, looked stunning in the long-sleeved white gown she bought from a Sue Ryder charity shop
The beautiful bargain, a lacy long-sleeved white gown, was bought from a Sue Ryder store in York.
Cat had a few alterations made to it, including adding buttons to the back and on the sleeves, and moving the placement of some flowers to the front of the dress.
After visiting a vintage bridal store after her purchase, she discovered the dress dated back to 1950s and was probably made from home, rather than a bridal store.
Cat took to Facebook to share her story after being inundated with compliments on the frock.
She said: ‘Since our wedding I’ve received lots of lovely compliments about my wedding dress, with people messaging asking where is was from, so I thought I would share the story.
‘On the day that Mike proposed to me he took me for a night in York.
Mike and Cat Wilkinson on their wedding day
‘The next day I was looking in the charity shops (as I often do) and saw the dress on one of the rails.
‘It was a charity shop on two floors and I was upstairs and phoned Mike to tell him not to come up while I tried something on and to ask if the shop volunteer could come up to take a photo.
‘I bought the dress there and then for the small sum of £35.
Cat Wilkinson tied the knot in a £35 wedding dress she had found in a Sue Ryder charity shop
‘I had a few alterations made to it to make it just how I wanted, including adding buttons (instead of a zip) to the back of the dress and buttons on the sleeves, and moving the placement of some flowers on the front of the dress.
It’s a small reminder that something doesn’t need to cost the earth to make you feel special’ – Cat Wilkinson
‘I took the dress to a vintage bridal store as I was curious and found out that the dress is 1950s, made from home rather than a bridal store, and the flower embellishments are older still – meaning they were likely passed down from an older relative as a ‘something old’ keepsake.
‘I hope my £35 wedding dress is a small reminder that something doesn’t need to cost the earth to make you feel special.’
The alterations cost around £200, meaning the full amount spent on the dress was just £235.
Cat told the Metro: ‘When I first saw the dress hanging on the rail I couldn’t believe it, I loved the lace design and it was bright white.
Cat Wilkinson found her dream wedding dress in a charity shop the day after the couple (pictured minutes after the proposal) got engaged
‘I had often spoken to my sister and friends about my dream wedding dress (long before the proposal) and my key criteria were long sleeves and a high neck.
‘I never expected the dress to fit me – my main reason to try it on was to see if the image of what I wanted that I had in my mind for so long was correct – and it was!’