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SHARING THE LOVE

Bride gets married in £35 dress she found in charity shop the day after getting engaged

IT'S COMMON for brides to spend months and a small fortune looking for their dream wedding dress.

But one woman discovered her's in a charity shop a day after she got engaged - and not only did it cost her a mere £35, but it almost fit perfectly.

 A bride has revealed how she found her stunning wedding dress in a charity shop a day after getting engaged to boyfriend Mike
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A bride has revealed how she found her stunning wedding dress in a charity shop a day after getting engaged to boyfriend MikeCredit: Jack Cook Photography

While the average coast of a wedding dress in the UK is £1,385, a newlywed called Cat shared on how she came across the stunning second-hand white dress she was to wear to marry her boyfriend of five-and-a-half years by chance.

"On the day that Mike proposed to me he took me for a night in York," the 29-year-old senior lecturer in education wrote.

"The next day I was looking in the charity shops (as I often do) and saw the dress on one of the rails.

It was a charity shop on two floors and I was upstairs.

"[I] phoned Mike to tell him not to come up while I tried something on and to ask if the shop volunteer could come up to take a photo.

 She was shopping in York with her husband-to-be when she came across the gorgeous dress for £35 in the Sue Ryder charity shop
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She was shopping in York with her husband-to-be when she came across the gorgeous dress for £35 in the Sue Ryder charity shopCredit: Jack Cook Photography
 A shop volunteer took a photo for her as Mike waited downstairs
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A shop volunteer took a photo for her as Mike waited downstairsCredit: Cat Wilkinson
 When she tried the dress on, it fit almost perfectly
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When she tried the dress on, it fit almost perfectlyCredit: Jack Cook Photography

"I bought the dress there and then for the small sum of £35."

Even better, when she tried on the lace dress - which featured elegant long sleeves and a high neckline - it fit almost perfectly.

"I never expected the dress to fit me – my main reason to try it on was to see if the image of what I wanted that I had in my mind for so long was correct – and it was!"she told of the serendipitous moment at the charity shop Sue Ryder (to donate, please visit ) in York.

"Myself and the lady who worked in the store couldn’t believe that the dress fitted me perfectly, it was as if it was meant to be."

She is now keen to connect with the original owner of the beautiful dress, and told Fabulous Digital that anyone with information is welcome to connect with her on .

 Cat only needed to have some very small adjustments made ahead of her big day
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Cat only needed to have some very small adjustments made ahead of her big dayCredit: Jack Cook Photography
 The dress was well-received by guests on her wedding day to Mike - and captured in photos taken by photographer Jack Cook
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The dress was well-received by guests on her wedding day to Mike - and captured in photos taken by photographer Jack CookCredit: Jack Cook Photography

Cat needed to pay £200 for some small alterations - including adding some buttons, and moving flower detailing to the front - but her total spend was an incredible £235.

The stunning dress was a huge hit as she walked down the aisle with Mike - captured in pictures taken by photographer - and wedding guests rushed to ask the bride where it was from.

After her big day, she took the dress to a vintage bridal store to try and find out how it had ended up in the charity shop.

They were able to tell her the dress was from the 1950s, and had been made at home.

 Cat encouraged other brides on Facebook to consider charity shops for their wedding dresses
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Cat encouraged other brides on Facebook to consider charity shops for their wedding dressesCredit: Jack Cook Photography
 She is keen to trace the original owner of her handmade lace wedding dress from the 1950s
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She is keen to trace the original owner of her handmade lace wedding dress from the 1950sCredit: Jack Cook Photography

However the flower detailing had an even older prominence, suggesting the material may have been passed down several generations.

"Finding out the history of the dress made me love it even more,’ Cat added.

She is now trying to connect with the original owner of the dress, and also wants to encourage other brides to consider checking charity shops for their special day.

Earlier today, we told you how a bride-to-be has sent her guests a two-page letter detailing the dos and don'ts of her big day.

We also told you how a polyamorous "throuple" have claimed their three-way romance teaches their son, seven, what an "honest relationship" looks like.

And a bridezilla has been blasted for asking one of her nieces to be a flower girl while banning the other from attending her"child-free wedding".

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