Wedding season is upon us and, with the royal wedding coming up in May, there’s been a notable shift in wedding trends, with an increased interest in brands associated with Meghan Markle.

Though many may want to look like royalty on their wedding day, they know they don’t have to fork out to look amazing. According to fashion search platform Lyst, wedding dresses are getting cheaper. In April 2017, the average price of a wedding dress on Lyst was £832, which was 25% lower than in 2016. This year the average has dropped further by 5% and now wedding dresses typically cost £790 in the UK.  

Offerings from Topshop, Coast and Asos are the most popular cheaper options on Lyst, but some brides-to-be don’t mind paying a little more for their special day as contemporary brands like Needle and Thread and Reformation are also popular (and both brands have dresses that fall below the £750 mark). 

Lyst’s research also found that more people are searching for colourful wedding dresses. Classic white is still the number one option but an increasing number of brides are looking to go completely the other way, as searches for ‘black bridal dresses’ have increased by 18%. 

Also interesting, the findings show that sales of 1920s style bridal hair accessories have risen 39% in the last year. 

But let’s get back to the cheaper dresses, because nothing should stop you from looking like a million dollars on your special day. Here are a few options from popular brands: