The Ultimate Something Borrowed: Wedding Dress Rental
Photography by Emma-Jane PhotographyHere’s everything you need to know about renting a wedding dress - from saving money to saving the planet this Second Hand September…
Looking for your dream outfit for your wedding but don't want to splurge on something you'll only wear once? Wedding dress rental services are the perfect solution!
Whether you're after a dress fit for a princess, a statement wedding suit, or eye-catching bridal accessories - renting gives you access to designer looks without the hefty price tag. Plus, it’s a sustainable choice, providing endless options while keeping your wardrobe (and conscience) green.
Rock My Wedding spoke to founder and CEO of By Rotation, Eshita Kabra-Davies, who let us know that renting is super in this season. In the lead-up to 2024’s peak wedding season, the renting platform saw a huge increase in brides listing their wedding dresses, bags and shoes by 130%, whilst the ‘Something Borrowed’ rental edit grew by 2x.
In aid of Second Hand September, we’ve found the best options for wedding dress rentals that will have you looking fabulous on your big day - so you can save the planet, (and your wedding budget, too!).
What is Second Hand September?
Second Hand September is an initiative by Oxfam, highlighting the importance of choosing more planet-friendly ways to shop. In an era of fast-fashion and throwaway culture, Second Hand September helps to take a stance against loving the things we own and shopping with intention, uplifting and supporting slow, sustainable and ethical fashion.
As we know, the fashion industry is one of the top polluters on the planet due to mass production with millions of clothing items ending up in landfills yearly. But what can we do to make a difference? Beyond September, we should always aim to get into the habit of recircling our clothes. While Second Hand September exists to raise awareness, being more clothes-conscious is essential all year round. Whether you donate unwanted items, shop second-hand, or even host a clothes swap party - it’s never too late to make a difference!
Why Wedding Dress Rental is Better For the Planet
The concept of renting isn’t entirely new to the world of weddings, while we’re seeing a recent surge in brides opting for rented gowns, hired groom and groomsmen suits are commonplace - especially for the more formal weddings requiring morning suits that can’t be doubled up as office attire once the nuptials are said and done.
According to Business Waste Management - a UK commercial waste collection service - Stillwhite, a company that sells new, used, preowned and sample wedding dresses has resold over 20,000 dresses, saving over 200,000 kg of carbon emissions and 180 million litres of water used to produce new garments.
With most wedding dresses only ever worn once, it’s no secret that the bridal fashion industry isn’t the best for the environment. So beyond affordability and access to gorgeous designer pieces, renting is both good for your wallet and the planet!
The 10 Best Places for Bridal Rental
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If you’re sold on wedding dress rental, we’ve found the best bridal rental companies, getting you one step closer to your dream dress. Whether you’re looking for somewhere bridal-specific or open to exploring bridal edits from more general designer fashion hire sites - here are our favourites:
By Rotation
By Rotation was launched in October 2019 and has since grown to become one of the world’s largest fashion rental apps. But, it’s important to think of By Rotation as more than a typical fashion hire company, instead a peer-to-peer shared wardrobe. By Rotation prides itself on empowering and connecting like-minded individuals, ultimately creating a community that fosters change in fashion over-consumption for the better.
If you’re hunting for the perfect wedding dress rental - you’re in luck! By Rotation has a dedicated ‘Something Borrowed’ collection for eco-conscious brides-to-be, featuring a mix of contemporary and high-end brands - some of the most popular being, Rebecca Vallance, Jacquemus and Temperley London. Wedding dress rental prices range from just £50 to £350 per day, ensuring you’ll find something for every budget.
Better yet, rented fashion isn’t just about the main event. If you’ve already got your eye on a wedding dress, why not rent stylish accessories to upgrade your bridal look with gorgeous designer additions? You can find anything from headbands, sleeves veils, shoes and bags - all for rent!
Better yet, By Rotation is for more than just the brides during wedding season thanks to their tailored bridal offer: brides can offer their guests a personalised By Rotation discount code and complimentary styling guide when they rent their wedding guest outfit on By Rotation. To set this code up, reach out to the team.
My advice to brides who are considering a rental wedding dress would firstly be to browse By Rotation’s ‘Something Borrowed’ edit, which contains over 1000 garments, from wedding dresses to shoes and accessories. When choosing what to rent, communication is key; the beauty of our app is that you can message people directly and ask them any queries about sizing, shapes, and styling tips so you can be fully informed on what you are renting. It’s worth making note of your own measurements and having an understanding of the kind of brands that suit you. You can also ask the lender how they styled the item or if they have any tips on wearing it. If you’re based locally, you could also ask whether you’re able to try it on before committing to renting it.
Eshita Kabra-Davies, Founder and CEO of By Rotation
Editor’s Pick: The Best By Rotation Rental Wedding Dresses
You can find almost any style of wedding dress for rent at By Rotation, from chic short wedding dresses to glam full-skirted gowns, but we’re taking a moment to highlight some of the best glitzy minis on offer.
Whether you’re hunting for the perfect reception/ second wedding dress, a party-worthy hen dress, or an engagement party dress - these styles couldn’t be any more perfect.
HURR
For brides seeking affordable luxury, HURR is the place for you. Launched in 2018, the platform offers a curated selection of luxury brands, focusing primarily on high-end, designer fashion, including wedding dresses. While By Rotation is all about a peer-to-peer community experience, HURR instead operates as a managed marketplace where items are mostly stored and handled by the company itself. The selection at HURR tends to be more limited than other largest fashion rental platforms, this is due to the highly-curated, luxury nature of the items - promising a premium experience for brides-to-be.
But what’s the same, is at the heart of HURR, it’s all about emphasising and supporting the growing need for circular fashion and sustainability, giving fashion lovers access to high-end pieces, without leaving a dent in their pockets.
Selfridges Rental
Selfridges is one of the most acclaimed designer department stores globally, but why buy, when you can rent? As part of their ‘Project Earth’ initiative, Selfridges launched their Rental platform in May 2021, allowing users access to gorgeous designer pieces for a fraction of the price.
At Sefrridges Rental, you can loan items for 4, 8, 16 or 30 days, with complimentary delivery, return and dry-cleaning services - emphasising the ease of wedding dress rental.
John Lewis Rental
John Lewis is another department store, renowned for its large collection of accessible, yet high-end wedding fashion for everyone from brides to grooms, bridesmaids, groomsmen, wedding guests, mothers of the bride, plus more!
If you don’t plan to pull your wedding look from the wardrobe again, John Lewis Rental is an easy and streamlined solution to obtaining your wedding dress in a budget and planet-aware form. Once again, you can rent your pieces for 4, 8, 16, or 30 days, delivered straight to your door and returns and dry cleaning are included in the price.
What stands out about John Lewis Rental is that you also have the option to buy selected items for a hugely discounted price - perfect if you’re feeling sentimental and want to keep hold of your dress for memories.
The Cirkel
The Cirkel is all about elevating the second-hand shopping experience, giving you access to gorgeous designer pieces with massive discounts. While The Cirkel differs from other companies in this round-up, as it’s not actually a rental platform - (yes we know we’re here to talk about wedding dress rental) - but The Cirkel, instead, allows you to buy and sell pre-loved items, that are all quality-assured to encourage circular fashion. This is the perfect option for the brides who might prefer to keep hold of their wedding dresses for sentimental reasons.
RIXO Rental
RIXO knows a thing or two about wedding dresses done right, so why would their rental platform be any different? The RIXO Rental collection includes the brand’s favourite styles - whether part of the new or archive range, ensuring you don’t miss out on only the best. Browse the collection and choose to rent your dream wedding dress for 4, 8, 16, or 30 days for ultimate flexibility.
While they don’t have an explicit bridal rental collection, you’ll find gorgeous dresses fit for a bride, amongst options for your bridesmaids and wedding guests, too!
Something Borrowed
Something Borrowed is the ultimate bridal rental platform, if you haven’t already guessed from the name. The company started with the aim of building a sustainable solution and future for the bridal industry as the founder saw first-hand the waste created by her own wedding.
The best thing about Something Borrowed is that it’s ultra-equipped for weddings, as a bridal rental specialist, you can find anything from ceremony dresses to party dresses, hen party dresses, and all the essential accessories, too!
With top brands on offer to rent, like Recommended Supplier, Rewritten - Something Borrowed is the perfect choice for budget-conscious brides who want to host a sustainable celebration.
P.S. Bridal Rental
P.S. Bridal Rental was brought to life by two stylists who found finding the perfect dress a time-consuming, expensive, and overwhelming process. Now the co-founders and CEOs, P.S. Rental is a truly affordable, sustainable and circular option for brides-to-be, bridesmaids and even wedding guests seeking a gorgeous gown.
As with other bridal rental specialists, the collection is vast, ensuring everyone finds the perfect wedding dress for their big day. Whether you browse by ceremony or party dresses, or style and silhouette, such as A-line or ballgown to narrow your search - we’re sure you’ll find something stunning.
Monsoon Rental
Monsoon is another high-street brand known and loved for its contribution to bridal fashion. If you’re hunting for affordable bridal wear, Monsoon is the place to go - so why not save even more money and the planet, while you're at it by renting with them?
It’s super easy to hire your dream wedding dress with Monsoon Rental. Simply browse the collection, rent for up to 14 days, with pieces delivered directly to your door, and returns and dry cleaning are both completely free!
You can buy or rent second-hand at Monsoon Rental with prices massively discounted - starting from just £5 per day, what’s not to love?
Waterloo Wedding Wardrobe
If you’re after the classic bridal boutique experience for a fraction of the price, or without committing to purchasing a dress - Waterloo Wedding Wardrobe is the perfect solution.
This rental service works slightly differently from others we’ve included in the round-up as rather than shopping for your dream rental wedding dress online, you still need to attend an appointment and fitting!
So, how does it work: browse the collection of luxury designer dresses and choose your favourite, attend an appointment to ensure it fits properly for any necessary alterations, secure your rental for your big day, and return the dress in perfect condition.
Starting from just £200 per day, Waterloo Wedding Wardrobe is the ultimate bridal experience, in a cost-effective, eco-friendly package.
Shop the dresses & book the hire service at Waterloo Wedding Wardrobe
Wedding Dress Rental FAQs
Considering wedding dress rental for your big day? We’re here to help you weigh up all your options to ensure you make the right decision. From answering some of your burning questions to a classic pros and cons list - we’ve got all the deets you need to decide whether wedding dress rental is for you.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Wedding Dress?
Based on the By Rotation ‘Something Borrowed’ edit, prices per day start from just £50, going up to £350 per day, so no matter your budget - wedding dress rental caters for everyone. Of course, it’s virtually impossible to put a set price on what it costs to hire a wedding dress as the price will hugely depend on the style of gown you go for, the brand/ designer and how long you plan to rent the dress. At By Rotation, most rental periods start from a minimum of 3 days, so it’s important to bear that in mind, too! But, a longer rental period gives you some downtime after the wedding to enjoy the dress for a bit longer - think a post-wedding editorial shoot, or simply soaking up the moment (avoiding a trip to the post office right after all the fun).
The Pros of Renting a Wedding Dress
- Renting saves you money: Renting a wedding dress is significantly cheaper than buying one, meaning you can spend more of your budget in other areas.
- Renting is a sustainable option: Renting reduces waste and the environmental impact of producing new dresses, making it a more sustainable choice. For the most part, wedding dresses are only worn once, so it’s a lot kinder to the planet (and your wallet, shopping second-hand).
- Renting gives you access to designer gowns: The best thing about hiring your wedding dress is that it opens the pool of options! You can wear a high-end designer dress that would usually be out of budget if purchased outright.
- Renting avoids long-term storage: Like we said, you often only wear your wedding dress once (minus the odd dance-party-for-one at home after one too many vinos). By opting for a rental gown, you don't have to worry about preserving or storing the dress after the wedding, which can save you time and space.
- Renting means less commitment: If you're not sentimental about keeping your dress, renting allows you to enjoy a beautiful gown for the day without the long-term commitment.
- Renting gives you more freedom: Choosing to hire over buy, means you get a dress that perfectly matches your wedding theme or location without the pressure of buying. For example, if you’ve always dreamt of a specific wedding theme, but don’t want to commit to buying a unique gown you’ll get no use out of again - renting is the way to go!
- Renting offers complete convenience: Many rental services offer easy online browsing, fittings, and delivery, making the process hassle-free - perfect for busy brides-to-be.
The Cons of Renting a Wedding Dress
- Renting means limited alterations: Rental dresses may have limited options for alterations, meaning the fit might not be as perfect as it would be with a purchased gown.
- A rented dress won’t be brand new & shiny: The dress may have been worn by others before you, so it might show signs of wear or may not feel as special as a brand-new dress.
- You’ll have a quick turnaround with renting: You’ll have to return the dress shortly after the wedding, so you won’t have the luxury of keeping it for sentimental reasons or post-wedding photoshoots.
- Your dream dress might not be available: The specific dress you want may not be available in your size or for your wedding date, limiting your options.
- You won’t be able to truly make it your own: You might have to compromise on details or accessories that could have been customised if you had bought the dress.
- Watch out for potential fees: There may be additional fees for cleaning, late returns, or damages, which can add to the cost of renting.
- Renting means no heirloom potential: If you hoped to pass your dress down as an heirloom, you won’t have that option if you opt for a rented wedding dress.
- You might miss out on the emotional factor: Some brides feel a strong emotional attachment to their wedding dress and may miss the experience of owning and preserving the gown.
Even more Second Hand September Ideas for Couples Tying the Knot
If you’re planning a wedding and want to keep sustainability at the forefront, embracing second-hand options is the perfect way to make your big day both stylish and eco-friendly.
From renting wedding attire to sourcing pre-loved or DIY decor, there are endless ways to incorporate the charm of something borrowed into your celebration, ultimately reducing waste.
If you’re looking to make an impact this Second Hand September - whether your wedding has already passed or is upcoming, Recommended Supplier, Brides do Good is the perfect initiative no matter where you are in your bridal journey. Brides do Good works with a range of designers, providing a range of handpicked and sustainable couture dresses, all for up to 70% off the RRP - ensuring everyone has access to their dream gown! Brides can also donate their wedding dress, allowing environmentally-conscious brides-to-be the chance to fall in love with the gown, too - even if they’re on a budget.
So, as you continue planning, bear in mind that going second-hand is not just a smart way to save - it’s a meaningful choice that adds character and thoughtfulness to your celebration.
