Searches for second-hand bridesmaid dresses are up 17% year on year as woman baulk at the cost of performing the honour, figures from resale platform Vinted suggest.
Almost a quarter of women who have been a bridesmaid (24%) have considered turning down the role because of the cost, rising to more than one in three (35%) among women aged 25 to 34, a survey for the online marketplace found.
Almost six in 10 women who had already been a bridesmaid (59%) said the role cost more than they expected, while one in three (33%) spent between £250 and £499 at their most recent wedding.
More than one in three (36%) paid for their own bridesmaid dress or outfit, rising to almost half (46%) of women aged 25 to 34 – and more than half (52%) of those in London.
Among former bridesmaids who have not worn their dress again, the biggest reason was simply not having another occasion to wear it (42%), while one in four (25%) said the dress felt too recognisable from the wedding itself.
Nearly two thirds (63%) of women who have been bridesmaids say they would feel comfortable wearing a bridesmaid dress that had already been worn, rising to 70% among women aged 25 to 34.
More than one in three (34%) of women who have attended a wedding have already worn a second-hand outfit to the event, with saving money (69%), avoiding buying something they will only wear once (38%) and finding better quality pieces for less (35%) among the biggest reasons.
Some 80% of women agreed it was “perfectly acceptable” to resell a bridesmaid dress after the wedding.
Formal dressed are listed on Vinted for an average £11, with the most searched-for bridesmaid dress colours being green, pink and blue.
Euan Steedman, UK communications lead at Vinted, said: “Being asked to be a bridesmaid is a special moment, but our research shows that the cost of taking part is leaving some women questioning whether they can afford to say yes.
“More than one in three women have already worn a second-hand outfit to a wedding, showing that people are increasingly looking for ways to celebrate these important moments without compromising on style or spending more than they need to.”
Think BF surveyed 2,000 UK women in July 2026.