Bridal shops are often the first stop for brides searching for wedding gowns. Jillian Lynch is not one of them. Her thrift shop was the one she preferred.
“Because I thrift all the time, it was just the option,” she told Insider. “I never even considered going to a bridal shop.”
Jillian, 32 years old, decided that she wanted to wear white on her wedding day after planning it.
Jillian shared that she and her boyfriend of 13 years didn’t picture themselves tying the knot until the spring of 2021. She said they planned on being life partners, but didn’t feel like marriage was necessary.
“I don’t know what changed, but about a year ago, we were like, ‘Let’s be husband and wife,’” she said.
Jillian and her groom knew they didn’t want a big wedding, so they planned a 30-person micro wedding at the Social House in Tempe, Arizona, where most of their friends and family live.
Jillian found the perfect venue and began shopping for clothes for the event.
“I just started looking for dresses, not wedding dresses, but simple white dresses. I didn’t want anything too formal,” she said.
Jillian, a keen thrifter, began her search by visiting secondhand shops. After four days of shopping, Jillian found a Camilla Coelho gown, which still had its tags.
This white, mid length, slip dress features an asymmetrical neckline and daring slit. It was beautiful as is.
Jillian was only required to pay $3.75. It’s definitely a steal because the same dress is currently available on Revolve for $220.
Jillian uploaded a video of her wearing the dress on TikTok. She said that she wasn’t sure if she would wear the dress to the wedding.
She was encouraged to use the gown by viewers and she was eventually convinced to make it her wedding dress.
After getting feedback on TikTok, Jillian tried the dress on a few more times and fell more in love, saying that she felt “really pretty” in it.
“Brides tend to go wedding dress shopping with their mom, their bridal party, or a group of people to get feedback,” she said of sharing her dress shopping journey on TikTok. “It felt a lot like that.”
Jillian had the dress tailored to fit perfectly on her wedding day. To tone down the look, Jillian had the waist cut, the adjustable straps replaced with custom straps, and some lace added at top of the slit.
The total cost of her wedding dress was $113.75, and she spent $110 on the alterations. Jillian also found Visanze Collection bridal shoes, which she thrifted at $8.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt that great in something,” Jillian said. “That’s what brides should feel on their wedding day, like they’re at their peak beautiful self. That’s exactly how I felt when I put it on.”
Jillian also didn’t spend a dime on her hair and makeup for the day because she did it all herself.
Although she didn’t spend years dreaming of this day, she surprised herself by loving everything about her wedding, even the traditional parts.
Jillian asked her father to walk her down the aisle.
“I could see how much it meant to him, and it actually ended up meaning a lot to me,” she recalled.
She and her groom focused on enjoying the day, the excitement of starting this new chapter in each other’s lives.
“We rolled with everything,” she said. “We were together, just having a fun day versus trying to make this planned event go well.”
See Jillian’s viral TikTok showing how the dress looks on her.
@jilly_lynchso happy with all these finds 🤍♬ original sound – Jillian
***Did you enjoy our feel-good and positive story? Support our site by simply subscribing and sharing our stories to your friends.
