A THRIFTY bride says she bought her dress on SHEIN – but still felt like ‘a million dollars’ and left people thinking it cost ‘THOUSANDS’.
Chloe Gregory walked down the aisle on August 23rd feeling like a ‘princess’ in her dress which she ordered from the popular online shop.
Chloe decided she did not want to fall in love with bridal shop dresses only to be disappointed by the price tags[/caption]
The newlywed now aims to inspire other brides to not fork out a fortune on their gowns[/caption]
Chloe said she has received a couple of negative comments online about her Shein dress but has ignored them[/caption]
The 24-year-old says she and hubby Ashley Hooper cobbled together items from other bargain websites such as Temu and AliExpress to keep cost down.
While Chloe admits going to a bridal shop might be a ‘lovely’ experience, she decided she did not want to fall in love with the dresses there only to be disappointed by the price tags.
The beauty therapist said the dress felt like Cinderella’s slipper when she first tried it on, having to only alter the hem of it due to her height.
The savvy couple claim they only spent £7,000, only splashing out on the photographer as they thought it was important to capture the best moments.
Chloe claims that most were ‘gobsmacked’ by the £80 dress and some said they had spent thousands on the ones that looked the same.
She admits some said they ‘could tell’ it was cheap but believes they only said this because she said it was from Shein.
The newlywed now aims to inspire other brides and show them a wedding can be done on a budget.
Chloe, from Ammanford, Dyfed, Wales, said: “I always knew I was not going to spend thousands on a dress I would only wear for one day and I love Shein.
“He only proposed to me on Christmas day so we did things pretty quick, we just wanted a day of fun and that’s what we got.
“We didn’t even go to a bridal shop, by the 9th of January I had that dress from Shein. I’d seen it before on TikTok and I thought if I order it and it’s crap I can send it back.
“But it was like Cinderella’s slipper. People were commenting saying they got the same dress from a bridal shop that was £2,000. I just think it’s impressive.
“I chose this one, if it hadn’t fit how I wanted to I would have tried on more but I’m not a fussy girl. I just went for it. I felt like this is the one, I felt how I would feel in a bridal shop.
“Going to a bridal shop is such a lovely experience, but trying on dresses that you’ll fall in love with and then just being sad about the price tag, would be more depressing than anything.
“I felt like a princess and I knew once I’ve had my hair and makeup done it would look even better. Even the photographers were gobsmacked.
“I felt like a million dollars and having my now husband look back at me with tears made it even better.
“Everything was budget-friendly. The most we spent was for the photographer and videographer because I think that’s important to capture the best moments.
“I had things from Temu, candlestick, candlestick holder, clothes for the tables, fake flowers from AliExpress and everyone complimented them as well, a fraction of the price of real ones.”
Which Oxfams have wedding dress stores?
Oxfam has four permanent shops with bridal departments stocked with good quality fashionable bridal wear and accessories, new and pre-loved.
Oxfam Shop Chippenham
5 The Bridge, Chippenham, SN15 1HA
Oxfam Shop Darlington
24 Skinnergate, Darlington, DL3 7NW
Oxfam Shop Shirley
76-78 High Street, Shirley, Southampton, SO15 3NE
Oxfam Shop York
7 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LJ
The bride admits she was worried about the quality of the dress but was impressed by its floral details.
Chloe said she has received a couple of negative comments online but has ignored them as no one would know the dress is from Shein if she had not mentioned.
Chloe said: “I was worried about the quality because in general when you order from Shein you have to look at reviews but all the reviews were amazing.
“I did have an alteration just because I’m quite short. She, a bridal seamstress, said the detail is shocking.
“I was shocked by the quality and how well put together it was. I’d rather tell people it’s from Shein, just get yourself a bargain.
“It was floral, it’s just crazy when you think it was £80. My makeup was £85 so that cost more than the dress.
“It can be so overwhelming to plan a wedding, you do get sucked into it. But when you actually peel back the layers, you can make it on a budget.
“I’d definitely recommend it, it was about £7,000 for everything. My family did a lot of the food as well as having caterers in.
“There have been a couple negative comments but I don’t take notice. Some people say it looks like a Shein dress but they’re only saying that because I mentioned it was a Shein dress.
“Everyone’s complimented me and that’s all that matters.”
‘I couldn’t tell it was a Shein dress’
Commenters on Chloe’s viral post have been impressed with the quality of the dress, while others claim it looks cheap.
One commenter said: “I’m a bridal consultant and I couldn’t tell it was a Shein dress! Congrats.”
Another said: “Omg this is my wedding dress too! I can’t wait to wear it! It was £80 and such a bargain.”
A third said: “Jeez it’s SO similar to mine? Mine was 2k!!!”
But one said: “You can definitely tell.”
Another said: “You can tell it’s cheap and it even looks white but glad you had a good wedding.”