No matter how many weddings we talk about or are involved in, we still get those tingly feelings upon hearing a beautiful love story, especially one which has embodied the Something Borrowed ethos. We are delighted to share one of our recent renters story, meet Lisa, who married her now husband Daniel at the end of September. Lisa set out with a conservative budget and one eye on avoiding waste, and found us, ‘like it was meant to be’!
Location of wedding: The Kingscote Barn near Tetbury
Engagement story: Very romantically by Wastwater Lake in the Lake District on a warm July evening as the sun was setting. Dan was so chilled that I had absolutely no idea, I had also packed the car so I was shocked he managed to sneak the ring in without me knowing! He’d even been to ask my Dad a few days before which meant a lot to me.
Favourite thing about planning your wedding: All of it, I enjoyed every moment. But seeing all my Pinterest boards and screenshots of ideas all come together on the day and getting the wonderful compliments on how beautiful the venue looked was very rewarding.
First dance: Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran
Wedding theme: Rustic/ woodland. We both love countryside sports, walking in the Cotswolds and work outdoors so it was very fitting for us to bring that to our day.
Did you consider buying a dress first of all? If so, what made you then consider renting instead?
Yes I intended on buying bridesmaid dresses and I had found the Rewritten dresses but I felt the price was a lot for a dress that my girls are likely to only wear once! However after hours of searching nothing else compared to them. I then found Something Borrowed offering the option to rent them and it was like it was meant to be!
What did you feel were the benefits of renting?
Firstly, it was more cost effective and secondly, I felt so much better that the dresses are being reused, rather than sitting in the back of a wardrobe never to be seen again.
Were there any drawbacks or compromises that you've had to make?
Nope we were very lucky that the colour combinations and styles we wanted from the start were available.
Did you cut your budget overall to reflect the saving you've made on your bridesmaid dresses or did that money go towards something else?
No… we were very naughty and didn’t have much of a budget overall!
Why were you drawn to renting from Something Borrowed?
From my first email the responses were very helpful and the process of how it all worked was very clear. And from the website, reviews and Instagram page I felt very confident in trusting Something Borrowed.
What would you tell your friends and family about the service you've received from Something Borrowed?
Highly recommend it, in fact I think between me and the bridesmaids we told most of the wedding guests. And hardly anyone knew it was even an option!
Did other aspects of your wedding have the Something Borrowed ethos too?
Yes I tried to source as much of our venue decor from boot sales, charity shops and online selling sites, again not only to keep costs down but to reuse and recycle! I have since donated back or popped it for sale so hopefully others can enjoy it too.
How long did you rent the dresses for and why?
We rented for four days, which was perfect. It arrived in enough time, we didn’t need to worry about it being late and had enough time to get them sent back again. It was so easy and straight forward receiving and posting the dresses back.
Did you take advantage of the home try-on service?
Yes, and it was very helpful because a few of my bridesmaids were unsure of sizing and actually once trying the dresses on altered their sizes for the big day.
Do you have any advice for other brides who are considering renting their bridesmaid dresses?
If it’s bridesmaids dresses DO IT. And if you’re still not sure chat to your bridesmaids because I’m sure like mine they’ll love the idea.
If you are also working to a conservative budget, but do not want to compromise on quality or style, then renting your bridesmaid dresses should be a serious ‘to-do’ in your wedding planner. We have a range of rental dresses for you to choose from, with a wide choice of colours from a stunning palette. Rewritten offer a range of stylish dresses that all compliment each other, so you can mix and match, finding the perfect style for each and every one of your girls. Like Lisa, you can contact us to organise a home try-on session, giving your best girlfriends the chance to check the best style and size for them. Before you go, why not also consider renting your wedding dress from us too? Hear Rina’s story on how it was the perfect option for her.