Cheap vs Chic
Bridesmaids & Attendants, Cheap vs Chic, Get the Look, Gowns, News
By Elisabeth on August 5th, 2011
The original (Photo: PA Wire/Press Association)
Before Kate married Prince William no-one really knew who the other Middleton sister was. But when Pippa stepped into the spotlight on 29 April 2011 to fulfil her duties as maid of honour and carry Kate’s train at the royal wedding she – and that now famous derriere – was catapulted into the limelight.
Pippa’s extremely flattering £20,000 bespoke ivory Alexander McQueen gown has since become such a requested design among brides in the UK that department store Debenhams has decided to release its own collection that pays homage to the royal wedding.
At £170 the limited edition ‘Pippa’ gown is available for only a fraction of the price of the original – but brides-to-be wanting to get their hands on one have to be quick as there’s a waiting list!
For anyone wanting to copy Pippa’s green Alice Temperley dress fear not. It is also part of the collection and can be yours for only £99.
Photo: Debenhams
Tags: Alexander McQueen, alice temperley, bridesmaid dress, Debenhams, Pippa Middleton, wedding dress
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Cheap vs Chic, Feature, Gallery, wedding dresses
By Andrea Petrou on February 25th, 2010
We’re very excited that Lara Stone has announced her friend and Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci will be making her gown for her upcoming wedding to David Walliams.
We knew the stunning model would go for designer, after all when you’re a model for Louis Vuitton, you’re accustomed to the best. However we thought she may have opted for a well known celebrity bridal designer such as Vera Wang, Oscar De La Renta or Dolce & Gabbana.
As there have been no more details about the dress, and of the wedding day including venues, we can only guess about the rest, and guess away we shall.
We’ve put together a gallery of different dresses and styles, which we think Lara may go for whether she decides on a beach wedding, Hollywood day or for somewhere in the UK.
Let us know what you think Lara may wear by leaving your comments below.
Click on the picture below to begin the gallery.
Tags: David Walliams, Givenchy, Lara Stone wedding dress, Riccardo Tisci
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Cheap vs Chic
By Andrea Petrou on August 27th, 2009
We seem to be on a bit of a bridal bargain spree today, and highstreet stores are coming up trumps with all their new bridal collections.
Next up is this new range of wedding cakes from Marks and Spencer which has come up with a collection to suit every bridal taste.
We love the fairy cake range, which can be stacked up make one big cake and the traditional three tiered cake looks more than good enough to eat.
However the icing on top of this range is the fact that you can buy individual cutting cakes in fruit, Victoria sponge and best of all chocolate.
Now we know they may look a bit plain, but use your bridal brains and imagine what they may look like after you have decorated them with fresh flowers,Swarovski crystals and even butterflies.
At prices from £35 to £300, you’ll be saving yourself a fortune.
Tags: bargains, Marks and Spencer, wedding cakes
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Cheap vs Chic
By AbiSilvester on July 3rd, 2009
This lovely bridal gown is absolutely charming. Or should that be Charmin? Far from being a priceless designer number, the dress just won this year’s Cheap Chic wedding contest and is made entirely from toilet paper, tape and glue.
Its maker, Ann Kagawa Lee of Honolulu, Hawaii, took inspiration from the film “Gone With the Wind” and Japanese Origami. Judges likened it to an Oscar de la Renta gown, and awarded her a $1000.00 prize for her efforts. Visit the competition site to see the runners up, and some amazing close-up images of Ann’s dress and hat!
Tags: bridalwave, oscar de la renta, shiny media, toilet paper wedding dress
Posted in Cheap vs Chic | 1 Comment »
Cheap vs Chic
By AbiSilvester on May 14th, 2009
OK, admittedly this might be more of a project for the hen night than for something you’d actually want to wear going down the aisle, but you never know: once you get going you might find you had hidden veil-making talents and come up with something lovely that could save you a tidy sum. I suspect the trick is in picking better quality material than they’ve used here 
. Check out Dalston Mill fabrics for materials that are ideal for use in this and other wedding-related projects
The project can be found here, with easy-to-follow picture instructions throughout.
Related: Sweet DIY idea for the getaway car! | GALLERY: home-made wedding dresses
Tags: bridal veil, bridalwave, craftstylish, DIY wedding, make a veil, shiny media, wedding veils
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Bridesmaids & Attendants, Cheap vs Chic, Gowns
By Gemma on April 6th, 2009
I’ve recently been helping a bride-to-be friend pick out her bridesmaids dresses. I have a bit of a vested interest as I’m maid of honour, but luckily she’s a stylish bride who I know won’t put me in a pistachio meringue. On my hunt, I discovered Dessy’s ‘Twist Wrap Dress’ (left, in purple) which set alarm bells ringing. It’s a convertible dress – essentially a tube with very long, wide straps that you can wrap however you like. Sure, it looks beautiful, but it’s $268, and bears a striking resemblance to a craftster project I’ve been following for months, which can be made for a few quid.
The dress is literally sewn from four pieces and can be made by even the most amateur of crafters. There are some great examples of how the dress has been used for bridesmaids and formalwear, but my favourite is a white version used as a graduation dress. I can even imagine this one as an informal wedding gown.
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Cheap vs Chic, Columns/ Opinion, Finance
By AbiSilvester on March 4th, 2009
Budgeting will always be an important part of wedding planning, and never more so than now. But you can’t put a price on friendship, and nobody wants to start married life sent on a long honeymoon in Coventry. So here’s some advice on how not to go about holding a cut-price wedding, with suggestions on how you could do it better!
1. Hold a ‘Dry’ wedding
Booze accounts for a large part of your wedding expenses, so it can be tempting to try and cut costs here. But unless you’re part of a strict religious sect, the odds are at least some of your guests will be looking forward to a drink or three at the reception, and will be decidedly unhappy if you announce on the day that it’s OJ and mineral water only. As a serial wedding attendee, I can honestly say you’d gain more popularity serving beans on toast at the wedding breakfast…so how can you make it affordable?
Read on after the jump for some solutions to this and more cost-cutting no-nos…
Related: Budget Brides: surviving the credit crunch
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: abi silvester, abigail silvester, bridalwave, cheap wedding, credit crunch, shiny media
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Cheap vs Chic, Food and Drink
By AbiSilvester on February 16th, 2009
While I’d generally consider myself a foodie and even something of a gourmet with a taste for the finer things in life, I have to admit to having a soft spot for Mr Kipling. Perhaps it’s the memories of after school trips to the newsagents — coming home laden with jam tarts, apple pies and cherry bakewells. I really don’t know, but one of my biggest guilty pleasures has got to be a French Fancy (or three) when I get to that low period in the middle of the afternoon.
But would you allow one of the garish, fondant treats on to your wedding breakfast table – and a giant one at that?
Related: Budget Brides: Bridalwaves guide to surviving the credit crunch
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: bridalwave, french fancies, mr kipling, shiny media, Wedding Cake
Posted in Cheap vs Chic, Food and Drink | No Comments »
Cheap vs Chic, Finance
By Andrea Kiliany Thatcher on January 20th, 2009
Are you one of the 25% of brides that became engaged between Thanksgiving (the last Thursday in November for your Brits) and New Year? If so, statistics say that your wedding budget is probably less than that of the brides that have recently come before you. In fact, according to one survey, 75% of all brides will cut their wedding budgets during 2009. Not an exciting prospect.
Of those surveyed, 53% do not plan to spend more than $25,000, and 34% do not plan to spend more than $10,000. So what’s a bride to do? Here’s some tips.
Prioritize your spending
45% of brides were willing to sacrifice on the number of guests, 45% on food. The dress (37%) and wedding bands (45%) were the areas brides were least willing to scrimp on. Apparently when you’re told “this is your day” enough, the selfish impulses take hold.
Read the rest of this entry »
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Cheap vs Chic, Gowns
By Hannah Kane on December 19th, 2008
I think I’ve had a revelation – is there really any point spending thousands on a frock you’ll only wear once when for a couple of hundred quid you can get a designer dress? It’s a thinker for sure. This one by Julien Macdonald for Debenhams is soft and unstructured, perfect for a more bohemian wedding, with an asymmetric flower detail. It’s part hippy, part Grecian and (unusually for Julien MacSparkle) not a sequin in sight! It would look equally pretty with heels or silver strappy gladiator sandals, loose curls and a flower tucked behind the ear.
Star by Julien Macdonald one shoulder wedding dress £200 from Debenhams.
Related articles: Boho bridal dress by Adele Wechsler, more gowns.
Tags: boho, Debenhams, flower, grecian, julien macdonald, star
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Cheap vs Chic, Rings & Jewellery
By admin on September 12th, 2007
When you’re looking at your bridal jewellery, most of us would err on the side of subtlety, as your dress is likely to be the main event. But you’ve got to have a little bit of sparkle haven’t you? I actually thought the Tiffany versions of these flower drop earrings were a bit plain, but at £2,350 I’m guessing the diamonds shine a whole lot more than on the screen. On the other hand, for £7.50, good old Marks & Sparks offers you a feasible range to offer all of your bridesmaids as gifts, and not concern yourself if you lose an earring yourself by the end of the night.
Related: More Cheap vs Chic | Hannah Zakari Flower earrings
Tags: sparkle
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Cheap vs Chic, Gowns
By admin on February 9th, 2007
Ian Stuart’s wedding dresses tend to split opinion right down the middle. Those who love them really, really love them, and those who hate them just can’t for the life of them understand why anyone would want to wear one. If you’re in the former group, I noticed this pink and white ball gown at The Knot – it’s by Moonlight Bridals, and is very reminiscent of Ian Stuart’s Pompadour dress. No prices available from Moonlight, unfortunately, so it may not even fall into the "cheap" category, but they’ve put it into their "moderate" price category, so you never know…
Related: POTW Ian Stuart | Ian Stuart ‘Fonteyn’ Fan-tailed Dress | Ian Stuart ‘Estee’ Watercolour collection wedding dress
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From:Bridal wonderland: German brand kisui 2012 collection draws inspiration from fantasy realm