So if you've ever looked at wedding dresses, whether you're getting married or casually window shopping, you'll know they cost a bomb. Like, really freaking expensive.
And since most of us don't have a ton of money to spend on a dress we're only going to wear once, it's great to know that high-street brands are offering cheaper options.
Asos is the latest brand to jump on the bridal wear band wagon. The collection says it caters for all sizes, with a selection of the wedding dresses available in Asos Curve.
Asos claims the bridal wear range is a budget-friendly collection that doesn't compromise on quality or design. So we put them to the test.
Five of us ladies at BuzzFeed, one an actual bride to be, decided to try on the Asos bridal collection. And here's how we got on.
I got engaged a couple of months ago, and this is the first time I’m trying on a wedding dress. Before this my wedding dress research was solely based on Don’t Tell the Bride. I tried on the Asos Bridal Lace Panelled Maxi Dress, which costs £120 and comes in sizes 4 to 18. I definitely felt bridal in this dress. It fitted well and it was light and comfortable to wear, although the long sleeves and high neck made me feel a little too restricted.
It’s roughly the kind of wedding dress I would go for – it’s not a puffy satin princess gown covered in diamante, so that’s good. But I’d want something a little simpler, and without the transparent cleavage bit down the middle because my grandma will be at my wedding. I do love how affordable the dress is. This is a big plus because it means money can go towards the more important things at the wedding, like the free bar.
So let me start by saying I'm one of those always-uncomfortable-with-their-body sorts, so I’m never going to be fully happy (or honestly, even a little happy at all) with how I look in anything. Ever. To add to that I'm exactly 5 feet tall, and very averagely sized otherwise. So the Asos Bridal Vintage Lace Button Back Fishtail Dress which comes in sizes 4 to 28, fit wonderfully around the circumference of my torso and legs, but it needed to be pinned at the shoulders. And even with several inches of heel, it formed a swimming pool of lace on the floor around me.
But my body-image/short-girl problems aside, the dress was genuinely lovely. The material was beautiful, and I loved the cream colour. I tend to dress in various incarnations of black (or if I’m feeling adventurous, off-black) and the idea of going full-white feels a step too far for me. So the off-white tone felt perfect. I’d definitely need to get the dress altered to suit my body, but would 100% wear it. It certainly felt bridal and, considering the quality of the dress, very much worth the £250 price tag.
My initial reaction when I put on the dress was "I want to get married NOW, because I’m so pretty.” I felt like a total sexy glamour model PRINCESS. Although I felt very bridal in the dress (Asos bridal Lace 3D Floral Fishtail Maxi Dress, sizes 4 to 18), I probably wouldn’t pick it for my actual BIG DAY (still a very abstract concept). I would probably wear something a little less bodycon clingy, and shorter. Saying that, I actually really liked the semi see-through long skirt thing.
One thing I didn’t love was that the underskirt kept riding up: I would walk across the room, and suddenly my vagina would be exposed. Apart from this small detail, everything else was good. The dress costs £250, which is a bargain for a wedding dress, but it didn’t feel like a £250 dress. It felt like maybe a £70 dress from Topshop. That said, I haven’t worn that many (if any???) £250 dresses so I don’t really know what they are supposed to feel like.
But overall I did feel like a sexy princess, and that is priceless.
The Asos Bridal Kimono Deep V Fishtail Dress is available in sizes 4 to 18, and it felt SO beautiful, it definitely turned my basic ass into a glamourpuss. I'm sure if someone wanted to get married in it, they'd feel awesome. It was silky, which is what I imagine wedding dresses to feel like.
Personally I wouldn't wear any sort of traditional dress if I *did* get married, so it was actually quite nice to wear a traditional dress and experience the other side of things. This dress is £120, which I think is GREAT. It feels like beautiful silky pyjamas (did I mention it feels nice? I will keep pushing this point). I felt so good wearing this, I would recommend wearing wedding dresses to all.
So just a little background on me: I LOVE weddings. Like, I'm a little obsessed with everything and anything remotely linked to weddings. I'm also very single, so trying on a wedding dress was an emotional rollercoaster; I was close to tears at one point. But emotions aside, this Asos Bridal All Over Embellished Cami Maxi was a little MEH for me. This is probably because I'm extra AF and I want to get married in a Vera Wang or Berta dress.
I felt like I was wearing a nice fancy maxi dress, but not a wedding dress. It felt soft and the diamante clusters were very pretty – I just don't think it screams BRIDE. Saying that, it would be the perfect dress for a beach wedding. It flows really lovely as you walk and it's very comfortable, and it's definitely worth the £150 price. What I did love was how true to size it was, which helps when you're buying a wedding dress online. I'm wearing a size 10 and it fitted perfectly, you can get the dress in sizes 4 to 18.