Your Wedding Stories

My husband and I had a wonderful time picking out our gifts, and guessing who would buy what. I think that Oxfam Unwrapped is a fantastic idea. As you can image, when you've been living with someone for seven years, you don't have any need for crockery, wheelbarrows or the proverbial toaster. This is not to say that we eat with our fingers or toast our crumpets over a fire (ok, maybe sometimes!). So choosing the Oxfam list just seemed like the most logical thing to do.

Stephen & Leteachia

Below are some quotes from our friends:

"Ooooo, what a lovely idea! Will try and purchase a goat when I have some spare time this weekend (for milk not eating, right?)."
Sarah

"That is such a genius idea compared to people I know who give you shopping lists from uber pricey department stores."
Robe

"What an amazing wedding gift list I am so proud of you. Have a wonderful, wonderful time in Italy."
Aunty Nina

Our Oxfam Gift List was the perfect list for us - we've been living together for 6 years and are fortunate enough to have a lot of the traditional wedding gift list items. As such we used this list to buy gifts for those people in a much less fortunate position than us, and our friends and family loved it.

Opening all the envelopes and seeing al the messages from our loved ones along with the gift items they had chosen was a very emotional experience and we wouldn't have changed it for the world.

Helen & Joel

We loved the idea of a gift list with Oxfam, and have been very moved by everyone's generosity and support. We didn't want to be given a pile of household objects that would just get stored under our stairs.

Oxfam Unwrapped enabled our guests to give us gifts that would benefit others, and at the same time make us truly happy. Knowing our happiness has helped others too has been an absolute delight. We excitedly opened each card as they came through the post and read about how the gift would be used. I've made and framed a collage of all the photos from the Oxfam Unwrapped cards to hang on our wall, so that we can always remember people's kindness and the countless lives that will have been touched.

Emily & Robert

Hi to all OXFAM BRIDES, present and future!

I have always thought, how utterly romantic it would be to wear a charity shop Bridal Gown for our wedding at a little Chapel in Las Vegas.

So when I walked up the steps in Bradford's Oxfam to the Bridal Rooms, I could not wait to see the gowns. And there they were...inviting rails of beautiful dresses...just for me to try. There were so many, I didn't know where to start. I tried on my favourite, and it did not suit me. I tried another one. I looked at my future Mother-in-Law , who had accompanied me on this adventure: "Help!"

Then, after a couple of maybes, Diane, the lovely Bridal Room manageress passed me a dress and said: "Try this one, it came in this week". It was a style I would never have picked, but as soon as my Mum-in-Law had laboriously laced me in, and I stepped in front of the mirror, I knew, this was The One. It just felt right.

My Mum-in-Law took a picture there and then, and I looked at it every day until we picked it up. And then, in September last year, my beautiful husband told me on our wedding day, how much he liked it, too. We had a magical Wedding Day, everything was perfect for us and we still smile and go totally moochy every time we think of it.

So, thanks BRIDAL ROOMS BRADFORD, a great big THANK YOU to Diane, for suggesting my beautiful dress and to her lovely assistant for helping. We chatted about getting married in Vegas and found that Diane had also tied the knot there, still going strong. 


There is just a certain vibe to buying your most important dress in such an illustrious, lovingly created setting, in such inspiring company, and being one of a long line of ladies, who would rather wear a loved, dear dress with a history or a dress given to help, than a brand new one without a soul.

I have already found my 1st Anniversary, Vows Renewal Dress. And guess where?? And guess where we're going?? Oh, the sheer romance of it all!

Thank you, Oxfam Bridal Bradford!! We love you!

Mrs & Mr Dickinson

My best friend got her wedding dress from your shop in Southampton, so I had to go and look before my wedding. I tried on lots of very nice dresses, but was having trouble deciding. Then I caught a glimpse of a gorgeous creamy off-white lace on a heavy, expensive looking fabric, and fell in love. I held my breath as I pulled the dress out, hoping that the style was what I wanted. It certainly was, and by chance the dress also fit me perfectly with no alterations.

I wasn't sure whether it was just a myth that you try on a dress and know it's the one, but apparently it really does happen. Of course you know you've got the right one when your mum cries!

Diana

I made an appointment for some try-ons at the Bracknell bridal shop. I managed to get a good idea of what would suit me as I was an 'older' bride. I found a perfectly fitting bodice top in the shop for £40, and then bought a new but not worn straight skirt with a puddle train from the online shop. It still had the shop label on it of £200 but I paid £20. They went perfectly together, and I was able to buy something less restricting too for the dancing. I have recommended it since!

Linda