Chloe Gregory, a 24-year-old beauty therapist from Ammanford, Dyfed, Wales, made headlines by walking down the aisle in an £80 wedding dress purchased from the popular online retailer SHEIN. Despite the incredibly low price tag, Chloe reported feeling like "a million dollars" and "a princess" on her wedding day, August 23rd, leading many to believe her gown cost "thousands."

Chloe's decision to bypass traditional bridal boutiques stemmed from a pragmatic desire to avoid the disappointment of falling in love with dresses that came with exorbitant price tags. She had always known she didn't want to spend a fortune on an outfit worn for just one day. Her swift engagement on Christmas Day prompted a rapid wedding planning process, and by January 9th, she had found her dream dress on SHEIN, a find she initially discovered on TikTok. Her gamble paid off, as she described trying on the dress as akin to finding "Cinderella's slipper," requiring only a hem alteration due to her height. The quality and floral details of the dress genuinely surprised her, with even a bridal seamstress commenting on the "shocking" detail for its cost.

The savvy approach to her wedding attire was part of a broader strategy by Chloe and her husband, Ashley Hooper, to keep their total wedding expenses down to approximately £7,000. They meticulously sourced other wedding elements from bargain websites like Temu and AliExpress, including candlesticks, table linens, and realistic-looking fake flowers that garnered compliments from guests. The couple's primary splurge was on a photographer and videographer, deeming it crucial to capture their special moments.

Upon revealing the true cost of her dress, Chloe encountered a range of reactions. Many were "gobsmacked," with some commenters on her viral posts claiming they had purchased similar-looking dresses from bridal shops for as much as £2,000. While some negative comments suggested the dress looked "cheap," Chloe believes these critiques only arose because she openly shared its SHEIN origin. She has chosen to ignore the negativity, focusing instead on the overwhelmingly positive feedback and her husband's tearful reaction. A professional bridal consultant even admitted, "I couldn't tell it was a Shein dress!"

Chloe's experience serves as an inspiration for other brides, demonstrating that a memorable and joyful wedding can be achieved on a budget without compromising on feeling special. She advocates for peeling back the layers of wedding planning to find cost-effective solutions, proving that quality and beauty don't always equate to a hefty price tag.