'By the end of the day it's covered in mud and food, and then it sits in your cupboard for the rest of your life'
A bride put off by the "ridiculous" cost of wedding dresses managed to bag a gown on eBay for just £34 and has "no regrets".
Katy Thomson started browsing online after being shocked by the eye-watering prices for brand new frocks.
The call centre worker looked at dresses ranging from £600 all the way up to £4,000 - much more than she was willing to part with. So the 36-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent started searching eBay, where she found a beautiful ivory princess dress for less than £40.
And, after tying the knot with groom Karl Thomson, 36, on October 15, she says she has no regrets.
Katy was so pleased with her find that she went on to buy her shoes, a small coat and even dresses for her bridesmaids from eBay as well.
"I just saw the price tags and thought it was ridiculous. I didn't feel the need to pay thousands on a dress you wear for one day," Katy said.
"Some of the bridal shops charge a fortune for a dress but by the end of the day it's covered in mud and food, and then it sits in your cupboard for the rest of your life.
"The dress was perfect, there wasn't a mark on it. I don't think it had ever been worn. On the day of my wedding, in that dress and makeup, I felt truly beautiful for the first time."
Katy said she still has the dress, "it's got chocolate all over the front from the fountain and grass down the back".
Katy secured the eBay dress by for £34 plus £4 postage - even below the asking price of £50.
And, when the gown arrived in the post, she immediately realised nothing on the high street even came close. Lined with diamonds and pearls, Katy's friends and family couldn't believe she'd paid such a small amount for the dress.
With her daughter Maddie, 11, as her maid of honour and her son Jayden, 14, as Karl's best man, she felt beautiful walking down the aisle at Aston Marina in Staffordshire.
Katy says she hasn't regretted her decision for a second since, and claims that saving the money allowed her to enhance of the wedding, such as entertainment.
And the budget bride has said she supports the idea of women spending less money on their dresses for the big day.
She said: "Some of the bridal shops charge a fortune for a dress but by the end of the day it's covered in mud and food, and then it sits in your cupboard for the rest of your life. "I still have the dress - it's got chocolate all over the front from the fountain and grass down the back."
Karl, who works in the same call centre as Katy, said: "It's hard to describe how beautiful she was on the day. The dress itself was perfect, better than I ever imagined."
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