UK Couple Holds Wedding at Local Thrift Store – WorthPoint

Anyone who has been married or has arranged a wedding for someone knows that the costs can be astronomical. Venue rental, flowers, photographers, a dress, veil, tuxedos, and food and drink for guests can add up to thousands.

One couple, however, found a way around that, and their innovative approach has made headlines worldwide. Nina and Stefan Pope, a couple who live near Manchester, England, have been shopping at their local thrift store (called “charity shops in the UK) for fifteen years. The shop, Emmaus Mossley, located in the village of Mossley, just 10 miles outside of Manchester, is part of a UK chain of stores and businesses whose mission states, “To work together to overcome homelessness and social exclusion while using our voice to achieve social change.”

Nina and Stefan are not just customers of the shop; they have also volunteered and promoted the store, contributing time and goods to the cause for years. When planning the wedding, they realized the cost of having a traditional wedding with all the trimmings would be prohibitive. The local Emmaus store had everything they needed, including some antique church pews that were part of the store’s inventory but quickly repurposed for guest seating.

Nina told The Mirror, a UK newspaper,

I’d say our wedding cost around £200, and that covered my second-hand dress, two wedding rings, Stefan’s outfit, naan breads, orange juice, and lemonade. Our wedding day was beyond all expectations. Thanks to everyone at Emmaus, we were able to have a sustainable wedding, temporarily using all the stuff that’s available within their charity shop to make the most nourishing, wonderful, and diverse space. The engagement ring, my earrings, Stefan’s waistcoat, all room decorations, glassware, crockery, and a lot of our guests’ outfits all came from Emmaus. Basically, everything that made our wedding shiny.

Friends and family also brought food for a wedding feast, including home-baked cakes. About 100 guests attended the wedding, many of whom helped make it happen. While it wasn’t a grand cathedral with a posh reception, the wedding was sustainable, and the publicity around it has helped raise awareness for the social services and citizens that Emmaus serves.

Brenda Kelley Kim lives in the Boston area. She is the author of Sink or Swim: Tales From the Deep End of Everywhere and writes a weekly syndicated column for The Marblehead Weekly News/Essex Media Group. When not writing or walking her snorty pug, Penny, she enjoys yard sales, flea markets, and badminton.

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