From Now On, This Is How I'm Doing Wedding Guest Dressing (2024)

There are three main reasons I've decided tostart renting my wedding guest dresses. The first two go hand-in-hand; I'm reaching an age when more and more people I know are getting married, and the rising cost of living aside, there's no way I can afford to buy a newdress for each one.

But perhaps the most important reason is that buying a brand-new dressisn't exactly sustainable.Of course, we're not telling you it's wrong to buy yourself a frock you feelgreat in—and you'll get a tonne of wear out of an LBD or floral midi, for example—but there's no need to splurge every timeyou get an invite in the mail. By renting instead, you can show up in something that's new to you, but that won't be shoved to the back ofyour wardrobe and forgotten about post-reception.

Claudia wears a Stine Goya dress rented from HURR.

It's also a great way to try outtrends that you know won't be around forever, or that you know you'll likely tire of. Personally, I lean towards timeless style, so I know my interest in more out-there trends will probably be short-lived. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the experience ofsporting something outside of my comfort zone from time to time, so renting is perfect for me.

By now, you might be thinking "Sounds great! But how do I do it?” Well, the good news is there's now a hostofclothing rental platforms dedicated tomakingyour dream wedding guest dress more accessible. Whether you've been lusting after a particular designerbuy that's waybeyondyour budget, or youdidn't manage to get your hands on apopular piecebefore it sold out, you might just find what you're looking for on one of theserentalsites.

Scroll on for a run-down of ourgo-to platforms and a brief guide to how they work, plusthe dresses I'll be considering for the weddings in my calendar.

1. HURR

HURRwas the first rental platform I was introduced to a few years ago, and to this day it has one of the most impressive selections. You canrentdresses from designers like Ganni and Rixo and high-end labels including Chloe and Dior for a fraction of their retail price. Choose the length of time you'll need the item for—from four to twenty days—and selectyourdates. At the end of your rental period, all you need to do is package up the dress and send it back—HURR takes care of the dry cleaning, making the process as seamless as possible.

RENT FROM HURR

2. BY ROTATION

With a catalogue of over 65thousand items—from Jimmy Choo shoes to Réalisation dresses—By Rotation will leave you spoiled for choice.When you'vemanaged to whittle it down to onepieceyou love, send a request to the lenderwith all theimportant details. Once the lender accepts, voilà! Yourdesignergemwill arrive on your chosen day, and when the time comes tohand it over, By Rotation can arrange for it to be collected from your home. Easy peasy.

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3.JOHN LEWIS

John Lewis' rental serviceis powered by HURR,but there are marked differences between the two.First off,listings are combined and most pieces are available in a range of sizes, rather than just the one. And secondly, there's no information aboutindividual lenders on John Lewis' site, which makes it feel more like we're shopping direct from the retailer and are therefore in safe hands (though this is absolutely the case with HURR, too). It really depends on your preferences.

RENT FROM JOHN LEWIS

4. ROTARO

If you're panicking and in need of a last-minute dress, turn to Rotaro. This innovative platform offers next-day delivery in the UK, so you don't have to sit around and wait for your dream dress to show up. The handy calendar view on each listingshows clearly when a piece is available, and when it's already been reserved for someone else's special do. Also, if you sign up for Rotaro's newsletter, you get 20% off your first rental.I'm sold.

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6. COCOON

Okay so you've found your perfect dress—now it's time to accessorise.Cocoon is a luxury handbag rental service, and it operates in a pretty unique way. Instead ofborrowing pieces individually, you pay a membership fee and this includes access to a wide selection of bags. It's like joining an exclusive club. There are two membership tiers, Premium and Deluxe—the latter includes access to a whole separate edit—and you can pay monthly or quarterly. Find more information about the different options right here.

RENT FROM COCOON

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