Dream buys for budget brides
WITH the average cost of Irish weddings now upwards of €30,000 and the busy season fast approaching, couples across the country are searching high and low for money-saving measures that won’t detract from their dream day. For Wicklow bridesto-be (on a budget), a whole community of charity shops, bridal boutiques and venues are working hard behind the scenes to stretch their big day budgets.
A veritable treasure trove of stunning wedding dresses, veils, tiaras and accessories, Arklow’s vibrant charity shop scene has been providing designer labels at discount prices for decades, with the town’s historic St Vincent’s de Paul shop playing a key role in making the big day extra-special for generations in their community.
Hailing the massive donations of bridal wear that arrive from around the seaside town and beyond, most notably from the acclaimed local bridal boutique, Bcouture Bridal, Manager of the Arklow SVP shop, Tammy Byrne, said that making weddings more affordable for the community while raising vital funds for charity is a “huge win-win” for everyone involved.
“The proceeds from our bridal dresses go to charity, but they’re also about making the big day more affordable for everybody – because you shouldn’t have to be rich to declare your love for someone,” Tammy said.
“It depends on the designer, of course, but our main priority is to make the dresses and accessories as affordable as possible for people and not discriminate against anyone.
“We have about six or seven wedding dresses in the shop at the moment, all brand new with tags. The one I have in my hand right now is €2,100, and we’d be selling those dresses for €200 to €300.
“Even the veils we have are as much as €200 each, and we wouldn’t be selling them for a whole lot, so there is a massive difference in cost there
“The dresses come into us as donations from all over town and beyond, and we received a great donation of veils and beautiful tiaras from another shop, which was closing down in Dublin, where the gentleman popped into us and said he wanted us to have them,” she continued.
“Bernie at Bcouture Bridal here in Arklow has been brilliant with us and all the Arklow charity shops over the years. She’s won loads of awards, and I was actually one of her first customers – I bought my wedding dress from her way back in 2004!
“She has given us absolutely stunning dresses by well-known Italian designers, costing anything from €1,000 to €2,000. She has been so good to us, and I know her generosity has helped spread a lot of joy out there in the community.
“Bernie also gives us communion dresses, and we have about nine or 10 brand new ones in the shop at the moment, which is a fair amount for a charity shop – particularly when we don’t specialise in them – along with three-piece suits for the little lads.
“We usually get transition year students from the local schools to model the wedding dresses for us, and younger kids to model the communion dresses, and post videos of them on social media - so it really is a big community effort to make weddings and celebrations more affordable.”
The award-winning Bcouture Bridal boutique at 4 Wicklow Vale Emporium has been helping Wicklow brides live out their dream day for over 18 years, showcasing a carefully curated selection of wedding dresses and bridal accessories from designers like Justin Alexander, Enzoani and Eva Lendel.
A long-time supporter of Arklow’s charity shops, Bcouture owner Bernie O’Farrell has been making generous donations of big-ticket bridal and communion dresses out of her desire to see everyone in her community enjoy their big day without the big costs.
“If I have something, whether that be a bridal or communion dress, and I thought a charity shop could get some use out of it, I’m more than happy to help them out,” Bernie said. “I gave Tammy some communion dresses recently because there are kids around whose parents can’t afford to fork out big money, and I’d much prefer to give them the dresses than get a few pounds for them.
“Honestly, it is all about the local charity shops and supporting the fantastic work they do to make these celebrations more affordable for everyone.”
Counted among wedding aficionados OneFabDay’s most beloved wedding venues, the stunning Ballybeg House in south Wicklow does its part to provide more cost-effective options for their wedding parties.
Nestled down a quiet lane between Aughrim and Tinahely, the stylish venue offers a range of cost-saving peak and midweek packages, with weddings hosted in January and February saving up to a whopping €5,000.
“The time of year and day of the week you get married here ay Ballybeg is the biggest saver by far,” Paddy O’Toole from Ballybeg House said.
“At Ballybeg we have very special rates for January and February, where it’s the same as getting married midweek, and you can save plenty of money.
“Plenty of couples take us up on that, although it varies from year to year, you could be talking about saving as much as €5,000 by getting married at the weekend from January to February, or indeed midweek – anytime.
“Seemingly, people don’t mind about that extra €5,000, and it always amazes me that more wouldn’t do it midweek, coming on Monday and leaving on Thursday.
“Everyone wants to go for that weekend in June, July or August, but those savings can go towards the honeymoon, that new home etc.
“Food is another big thing, and our resident chef Maggie Roche – who is just fantastic - always advises couples that they don’t have to go for the most expensive option,” he added. “If you go for beef instead of steak, for example, you could be saving €20 or €30 per head – which really adds up.
“Again, and it isn’t something exclusive to us, the spend on entertainment can make a huge difference.
“You can have a damn good, experienced local DJ here that works exceptionally well or all the bells and whistles of a live band – we’re here to accommodate and try to get the most for our guests out of their budgets.”
With so many wedding venues in Wicklow, every budget can be accounted for, and it is also worth being clear what your budget is and finding ways to stick to it, while having the best day with friends and family.
The Arklow SVP shop is open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5.30pm and Wicklow brides willing to travel just a little bit, can find more beautiful, affordable wedding dresses at Barnados Bridal Shop on Main Street in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. This shop is appointment only and you can book a spot via barnardos.ie. They also have a shop in Wexford.
THE ONE I HAVE IN MY HAND RIGHT NOW IS €2,100 AND WE’D BE SELLING THOSE DRESSES FOR €200 TO €300