Bride dazzles in $60 second hand wedding dress

A woman is sending the internet into a spin with an incredible thrift store find worth far more than the $60 she paid for it.

New bride Cat Wilkinson, who hails from Blackburn in the UK, posted the heartwarming story to Facebook, to the delight of thousands of people who liked and commented on the post.

Cat was just one day into her engagement, when on a chance pit-stop to a charity shop in York with her fiancé, something special caught her eye.

Banishing her future husband from sight, she pulled out an elegant long-sleeved dress, and tried it on.

“I bought the dress there and then for the small sum of £35 (AUD$62),” she wrote in the post.

She told Yahoo Lifestyle a thrift store find was always on the cards, but it was the timing that truly astonished her.

“I always hoped that I would find my wedding dress in a charity shop, I just never imagined it would be the day after being proposed to,” she said.

With a few adjustments as simple as replacing a zip with some buttons, and rearranging the lace flowers, the dress was ready to go.

Now, the beautiful photos Cat shared are being warmly embraced online.

The bride is being praised for embracing a simple, no frills option that, as it turns out, carried far more soul than an expensive brand-new gown.

A touching history

“I took the dress to a vintage bridal store as I was curious and found out that the dress is 1950s, made from home rather than a bridal store,” a thrilled Cat shared.

“The flower embellishments are older still - meaning they were likely passed down from an older relative as a ‘something old’ keepsake.”

The beautiful gown, bursting with history, made the bride dazzle on her wedding day and she shared a sweet reminder along with her heartwarming story.

“I wanted to share my story so that those who feel under pressure financially to ‘look the part’ on their big day realise that it is possible on a budget,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.

She said she wanted to share a different side of wedding planning, as increasingly opulent and expensive events fill up headlines.

People have flocked to the post sharing sweet comments and compliments.

“You were definitely meant to wear that dress - it was perfect for you!” one woman wrote.

“You looked unbelievably beautiful and the dress has another fantastic piece of history to add to it,” another wrote.

“Wow!!! Beautiful and so very special, you’ve made it your own,” a third woman wrote.

The truly sweet story is mirrored in its response, a rare example of a positive story to emerge from the chaos that can be modern wedding-fare.

Recycling, reviving and thriving?

That’s a triple tick from us.

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