In Ireland we have 4 great Charity Bridal Boutiques run by four fantastic charities - Oxfam Bridal in Bangor, Vision Ireland's NCBI Bridal Room in Naas Co. Kildare, Barnardos Bridal in Dun Laoghaire and Wexford and The Bridal Room at St Vincent de Paul in Dundalk. Charity bridal shops are run by charities along the lines of traditional charity shops - the stock is donated and all the proceeds go to fund the charity's programmes. When you buy a wedding dress, accessories or your bridesmaids dresses from a charity bridal boutique not only are you helping a charitable mission, you are also helping lessen the environmental impact of clothes manufacturing too, a fantastic ethical bridal fashion option! It’s about repurposing fashion to do some good for the world.

Barnardos Bridal Rooms | Image by Naomi Gaffey

Barnardos Bridal Rooms

Barnardos Bridal Rooms is an affordable bridal & accessories boutique raising funds to provide services that help some of the country’s most disadvantaged communities and offer invaluable support to the children and families who need it most. Their dedicated bridal boutiques in Dun Laoghaire and Wexford offer a premium selection of 100% brand new bridal gowns donated straight from designers or bridal boutiques. Their prices start from €350 and they offer a wide variety of sizes and styles. Best of all, none costs more than €900. Their accessory collection includes jewellery, belts, veils, hair pieces, shoes and capes too. The range is good too, but the selection is continually changing as new stock is donated so it's worth going back if you don't immediately see something you like, or keeping an eye on their Facebook page.

Find out more at: www.barnardos.ie

Vision Ireland NCBI Bridal Room

Vision Ireland NCBI Bridal Room

Vision Ireland's (the new name for NCBI) very own bridal room based in Naas, Co. Kildare offers a premium selection of brand new bridal gowns donated straight from designers or bridal boutiques and have up to 70% off the original retail price. Brands and designers often include Mori Lee, Dando London, Jenny Packham, White Rose, Mon Cheri and Maggie Sottero and prices range from €50 to €700. The collection offers a wide variety of sizes and styles as well as finishing details such as jewellery, belts, veils and hair pieces too. The selection is continually changing as new stock is donated so it's worth going back if you don't immediately see something you like. Not only will you get an extraordinary price for your brand new gown but you will also be making a valuable contribution to Vision Ireland's fantastic services to support their work with people living with sight loss.

Find out more at: vi.ie/ncbi-bridal

The Bridal Room at St Vincent de Paul Dundalk

The St Vincent de Paul charity shop in Jocelyn Street, Dundalk, has its own dedicated bridal boutique, which offers a range of pre-loved dresses to suit every bride with prices starting from €80 up to €300. The shop also stocks Mother of the Bride outfits, bridesmaids and flower girls dresses, and bridal accessories. By supporting St Vincent de Paul you are helping the charity give direct assistance to those in need, caring for the homeless, providing social housing and other social support activities, the Society promotes community self-sufficiency, enabling people to help themselves.

Find out more at: www.svp.ie/stores/vincents-dundalk-jocelyn-street/

Oxfam Bridal | Image by Livia Figueiredo Photography

Oxfam Bridal

While Oxfam Bridal on South Georges St. in Dublin (above the Oxfam Charity Shop) has recently closed, you can still find bridal at the Bangor store in Co. Down. Oxfam Bridal also stock second-hand dresses (95% of the range is new, 5% is second-hand) so bear them in mind when your own wedding day is over, they would be very grateful for the donation I'm sure. As with the other two, the range is good and the prices are excellent. Oxfam also have a limited number of vintage dresses and a large selection of accessories - from veils and accessories to shoes. They also stock flower girl and a small number of bridesmaids dresses. By supporting Oxfam, your big day creates a brighter future for people affected by poverty.

Find out more at: Oxfam Ireland

Vision Ireland's NCBI Bridal Room

A Few Tips for Charity Shop Wedding Dress Shopping

• Open your mind (and your eyes): unlike in traditional bridal shops you won't be able to order in, so you have to open your mind to possibilities, rather than envisaging your dream dress and just expecting it to be there
• Try On & On & On... as with all wedding dress shopping, the key to find the perfect dress is trying everything on, because what you think you want, and what suits you, are often two very different things
• Go Early, Go Often: the stock of wedding dresses is constantly changing, and everything is one-off, so even if you don't find your dream dress the first visit, it's worth returning to check out new stock. You never know what you might miss otherwise!
• Appointments are essential: all of the charity bridal shops are by appointment only so make sure to book in advance
• Be Flexible, not Fussy: some the dresses are second-hand, so they won't be absolutely perfect, be prepared to clean and alter as necessary

Barnardos Bridal Rooms | Image by Naomi Gaffey

Pick Up The Phone

Having been in the boutiques we would highly recommend checking them out, you never know what you might find.

All of the above Charity Bridal Boutiques endeavour to offer the same care and service to brides as mainstream bridal boutiques, so viewing is by appointment only.

• Barnardos Bridal Shop, Main Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin | Phone: +353 1 861 2070
• Barnardos Bridal Room and Boutique, 11a Selskar Street, Wexford | Phone: +353 53 912 2679
• Vision Ireland's NCBI Bridal Rooms, 27 North Main Street, Naas, Co. Kildare | Phone: +353 87 1394324
• Oxfam Bridal, 32-36 Main Street, Bangor, Co. Down BT20 5AG | Phone: +44 28 9145 8726
• The Bridal Room at St Vincent de Paul Dundalk, 21 Jocelyn St, Townparks, Dundalk, Co. Louth | Phone: +353 42 933 9056

Looking for inspiration for your vintage or pre-loved wedding dress? You'll find lots of ideas in our wedding dress gallery