Budget bride

Last year, Asda gave birth to the high street bride and now Marks and Spencer have stolen the mantel with their slightly more upmarket and less garish version of affordable bridal wear.

There’s no shame in avoiding spending half your wedding budget on a bridal gown. The average wedding dress costs on average £826 and unless you’re planning to be a bigamist then the dress is likely never to see daylight again. So sad. Live the dream then let it go. From now on you’ll be wearing tracky bottoms and washing up gloves and the virginal white dress and garter will be in a distant memory in a picture frame

So the Marks & Spencer bridal wear is the perfect choice for budget-conscience brides.

An ankle-length strapless satin gown will set shoppers back just £89 and for the slightly higher price of £125, brides can pick up a silk taffeta dress with beading and embroidery.

Images of the dresses also show a Grecian-style number with twist-effect shoulder straps, a plunging neckline and high waist slowly widening to a ruffled finish at the ankle. The collection includes 12 dresses in total for brides and bridesmaids to choose from, all in cream, champagne and white materials as well as outfits for children.

Wedding accessories are also part of the new bridal range, with chiffon wraps at £39, satin slippers at £15 and rose embroidered silk evening bags at £9.50.

And grooms will not be left with the limited choice of Moss Bros to find their morning suit to hire, because they can also buy their own complete outfit for just over £200.

Marks and Spencer are following high-street fashion store H&M who featured a frilly wedding dress by Dutch designers Viktor and Rolf for £219.99 last year.

Kate Bostock, director of womenswear, said Marks & Spencer decided to take the plunge and develop its first bridal range because of customer feedback.

She told the Evening Standard: "The bridal market is incredibly important and apart from a very few high street retailers, brides can only buy from wedding-specific stores.

"I think that offering dresses that are stylish and contemporary, very affordable and made to our high standards, means that women will feel confident choosing their dress at M&S."

The limited-edition range is part of the Autograph collection and will not be on sale until February 27, when it previews at the flagship Marble Arch branch in London.

Nine other stores will take delivery of the collection in early March, although it can also be ordered online from this Thursday.

Vanessa Lees

If you're a blushing bride to be, would you purchase a M&S wedding dress. Have your say in the rant form below