Recycled Wedding Market ready for bargain-hunting brides in Rotorua

With wedding costs on the rise, more and more bargain-hunting brides are seeking pre-loved items for the big event.

In New Zealand, the average wedding costs $30,000.

This Sunday, Rotorua will host its second Recycled Wedding Market to cater for brides wanting to sign their marriage certificate without the stress of huge event costs.

Alice Wareing with wedding dresses ready for Sunday's market. Photo / Ben Fraser

Former brides and local wedding vendors will group at Blue Baths for the market on Sunday.

"With the popularity of buy, swap, sell pages on social media it made sense to incorporate this," Blue Baths events co-ordinator Alice Wareing said.

About 30 suppliers and brides from all over New Zealand are taking part.

There will also be two racks of pre-loved wedding dresses.

"It gives brides to be the opportunity to cut costs on certain aspects of their day by buying second-hand goods that are still really good quality," Wareing said.

She believes that if brides do enough research they can have a unique wedding without the debt.

Wareing said this was clear in their feedback from last year's visitors to the market.

"They really enjoyed being able to look through other people's loved purchases and talk to the ex-bride who owned them, rather than just seeing an image online and clicking 'buy now'."

Recycled Wedding Market
WHEN: Sunday, April 29 from 10am-2pm
COST: $5 Entry fee on the door
WHERE: The Blue Baths, Queens Dr, Government Gardens