Ok, so you will have to indulge us for a few more days, because the entire country is absolutely ENGULFED in Royal Wedding Fever. Everywhere you look right now the image of Wills’n’Kate’s grinning faces is etched into every possible surface – yesterday while taking a walk I noticed that one of my neighbours is clearly quite insane: beaming from the comfort of their front bay window is a life-size replica of the happy couple, arm in arm and clearly enjoying the prospect of a quiet West London street. Madness.

While KM is one bride-to-be who doesn’t have to worry about such common things as budgets for her big day, the rest of us do. And while I can’t rest for wondering WHO IS GOING TO DESIGN THE DRESS, whatever it turns out to be, I can guarantee one thing: it won’t be second hand. I don’t think Kate will have spent hours browsing E-Bay looking for the perfect pre-loved Jenny Packham, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.

If you want a designer wedding dress but simply can’t afford it, going second-hand is an excellent idea.

If you want a designer wedding dress but simply can’t afford it, going second-hand is an excellent idea. It is a great way to get the dress and the label of your dreams without the soul-destroying price tag. Basically you are getting a beautiful dress and letting someone else pocket half of the cost. As long as you are willing to forgo the experience of designer wedding dress shopping (the champagne, the rows and rows of astonishingly beautiful dresses… the tears and trying to convince your beloved that paying the equivalent of a new car for a dress is a GOOD IDEA), you will shave valuable pennies off the price that can be better spent on the more permanent aspects of your wedding day.

So, how to go about it? Here are some tips on how to make a pre-loved dress work for you:

Visit the stores To start with, you may as well indulge yourself with a few wedding dress shop appointments. You can try on as many dresses as you like and no one has to know that you aren’t going to be buying any. Find the style that suits your figure best, and take note of the sizing of each designer – you may find you’re a 10 in one store and a 12 in another. Write down the name and style code of any particular dress that you like.

Search high and low You are probably already spending eighty per cent of your work day organising your wedding via email and browsing wedding websites while your boss isn’t looking, but do it more effectively: set up Google alerts for the designer names and dress styles you have your heart set on, as well as the style code. That way you don’t have to keep endlessly browsing.

Get online Check out websites such as E-Bay, Sell My Wedding Dress, Almost New Wedding Dresses, Buy Sell Dress; as well as US and Australian sites – paying for shipping will still be cheaper than buying new. Also check the forums and message boards on the big wedding sites such as Hitched, Confetti and Weddings.

Unlikely places Be sure to check with dry-cleaners, charity stores, vintage clothing stores, markets and the second-hand classifieds. You might come across a gem – or you might find dresses that can be picked up for a song and pilfered for their lace, beading, bodices, diamantes, etc. All these things can be used to put together your dream dress with the help of a talented dress maker.

Alterations When it comes to wedding dress alterations, the cost can be almost as much as the dress itself.  Ask for recommendations from friends, shop around, and ask for references before handing over your precious dress. Remember that a regular tailor won’t always be prepared to work on wedding dresses, so make sure they have plenty of experience.

Ask around You can also ask around your friends and family for people who have wedding dresses they’d be happy to sell – or even donate – to you. With some alterations and new additions from a dress maker you can have a totally different looking wedding dress for a fraction of the price.