This article was first published in May 2020.
While the most expensive parts of a big wedding are common knowledge - the venue, the dress, the open bar - lots of the little costs can eventually add up and become one big financial headache.
That includes the bridesmaids dresses, which can easily come in at a couple of hundred bucks each, which isn't ideal if you have seven best friends you want up there with you.
But one Aussie bride has stunned the internet with a financially savvy solution, revealing that the gorgeous dresses her bridesmaids wore during her wedding were from budget department store Kmart.
Danielle Young got married in early March, before the Australian government imposed restrictions on weddings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Young posted images of her bridesmaids wearing the black, mid-length dresses in the 'Kmart Hacks & Decor' Facebook group, which has over 350,000 members.
"Just want to say how amazing my bridesmaid dresses were for my wedding just before COVID hit! The girls looked stunning!" Young revealed. "They are from Kmart and were (AU)$25 each."
The post racked up over 13,000 likes from impressed fellow Kmart enthusiasts.
"Beautiful dresses and beautiful bridesmaids," one woman wrote.
"You would never have thought! Amazing," wrote another.
Young told the Daily Mail she initially considered purchasing a similar option from Australian designer Shona Joy for $240, but struggled with the hefty price tag.
"It just wasn't feasible for us to spend this much for the bridesmaid dresses," she said.
While Christmas shopping at Kmart last year, she spotted the black silky option.
"I saw them and they were exactly what I wanted."
Young said she hopes the idea will inspire other brides-to-be to not rule out budget retailers when it comes to shopping for special occasions.
While the dresses currently aren't available for sale on the Kmart NZ website, perhaps the department store will consider a bridal line in the near future.
