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How Preston bride-to-be customised TWO wedding dresses from hospice shop to make perfect gown
When bride-to-be Hannah Hammond walked into a Preston charity shop, little did she realise she would be walking away with not one but two dream wedding dresses.
By Catherine Musgrove
Thursday, 23rd December 2021, 1:36 pm
Hannah, who grew up in Preston before moving to London, visited the St Catherine's occasion-wear and bridal boutique in Lune Street to get an idea of what her ideal wedding dress might look like, but didn't intend to buy anything on the day.
>>>Click here to learn more about St Catherine's charity shops and what they offer.
But by the end of the day, she'd walked out with not one but two dresses, which she customised and put together to create her bespoke perfect gown.
Hannah and Andrew on their big day
Hannah said: "I only popped in to try on some different styles so I could get an idea of what kind of dress I would want; I didn't expect to find something right away, let alone two dresses.
"I originally had a completely different style in mind. I live in London so my plan was to book some appointments at stores in London once I knew what I was looking for. I was visiting family in Leyland when my sister-in-law told me about the St Catherine's wedding dress shop, and I just fell in love with two dresses for different reasons.
"I really loved the fit and style of the top of one, and the material, detail and Princess-style skirt on the other.
"I knew I wouldn't be back in Lancashire for a while so I decided to buy them both to give me more time to decide. It came to £300 for both of them. After telling my sister that I couldn't choose she suggested getting them sewn together, and I ended up with my perfect, unique dress."
The back of the bespoke dress
She added: "The lady who was working in the store was so lovely and very helpful and even told me where the dresses I had picked had come from, which was amazing. There was plenty of choice; I would definitely recommend it to any other brides-to-be! There are some fantastic-quality choices at really affordable prices, and it's all in support of the hospice."
The couple live in Hackney where husband Andy works as a solution architect and Hannah runs a blind accessible escape room. They met at a friend's party when they were 16 and were in the same friendship group afterwards, but didn't get together until a few years later when they were at different universities and would make time to see each other at weekends.
"Andy proposed while we were on holiday in Barcelona," Hannah said. "We were picked up and taken to the mountains where we went horse riding and had lunch. Then our driver took us to Parc del Laberint which is a beautiful maze and gardens where Andy proposed.
They got married on August 7 in MKII studios in Hackney in a ceremony conducted by their best friend.
The princess-style skirt
Hannah adeed: "Our wedding day was absolutely perfect, we both enjoyed every second of it although it was a complete whirlwind and went by very quickly. Andy said I looked stunning in my dress and loved it as much as I did."
The couple have known each other since being teenagers
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