Latest statistics show the average wedding now costs a whopping £32,000, and the average dress costs £1,200! However, not everyone chooses to spend such a figure on one day, or could even dream of having a wedding budget that large.

Our ever-evolving high street has cleverly recognised this and many of our well-known shops now cater for all things bridal for a fraction of the price; wedding dresses, shoes, accessories, as well as suits for the groom and his best men.

The dress
A popular website called everythingfivepounds.com had a long white gown with a shawl at the beginning of the season for, you guessed it, £5! And no, I am not joking. This might not be the site for you, but if you have lots of bridesmaids to cater for, why not check it out? From maxi dresses to mini dresses, in all styles, sizes and colours, there is quite a good selection to be found.

Those brides marrying for the second time, who perhaps spent a lot of money the first time round, may wish to have a more laid back wedding and be a little less frivolous with their wedding purchases. There are also couples who would prefer to spend more money on their honeymoon than the wedding day itself.

Luckily, brands are aware of this and delivering options for smaller budgets. For example, Dorothy Perkins had a really lovely bridal dress for the reasonable sum of £110, Little Mistress had one for £85, and Chi Chi London were selling a dress for only £75. The point is not to overlook the high street, as they are all chasing a slice of this lucrative market.

Accessories
These can make a huge difference to any outfit and again the high street offers some lovely items. Primark has a big range from bags to shoes to head pieces, which will leave you lots of cash to splash else-where (or save for a rainy day).

Accessorize, found on most high streets, has cute little wedding sparkly bags, as well as a great choice of hair ornaments, many of which can be re-used on other occasions.

Shoes
Bridal shops very often charge a lot extra for bridal shoes, which is understandable as they can cost more to manufacture. We all know if our feet are comfortable, as it shows on our faces, and generally you will be on your feet for a very long period of time on your wedding day, so sore feet could potentially ruin what should be a happy day.

Depending on the gown you choose, often you just get a peek of the shoes. If you have a pair you like that goes with your chosen outfit, why not buy shoe accessories instead of a brand new pair? They make any shoe stand out and look different. I have an ancient pair of silver shoes and purchased a fabulous pair of pearl clips from

Fiftyplus.co.uk. They always get lots of compliments, but more importantly I am comfortable. Check out Rainbowclub.co.uk, Prettypinktoes.co.uk or Dune.

Remember, it’s only one day. If you’ve dreamed about and planned your wedding from a young age and you want to splash the cash, go for it. But if you’re working to a tighter budget or can’t justify the top range prices, the high street may just be the answer. Most importantly, enjoy your special day.