I’ve just spent an hour watching my favourite new addiction Say yes to the dress and as usual I’m astounded the lengths – both financially and geographically – brides and their families will go to to find ‘the perfect dress’.

Women from all over America it seems will travel to New York City to spend thousands of dollars on dresses that are – to be honest – a bit ho hum most of the time.

Truth is that money can’t buy taste but it can buy waste!

Most of the brides’ budgets seem to be around $3000 US and often the bill is foot by mum and dad (or make that mom and dad).

Each episode includes past brides coming back for a final fitting – often a year or so later – flying in from across the US and even from Canada (hard to believe that a French colony don’t have enough beautiful dress shops?).

What’s remarkable is how many brides say they can’t remember what the dress looks like. Considering they’ve often spent the equivalent of a car on it you’d think they’d have a vague idea.

All this says is that what seems important in the moment is less so in the long run. There’s a lot a new couple can do with $3,000 that would make a lot of difference to a lot more people.

Spend $1,000 on your dress (locally made and designed!) and the rest on your honeymoon or on more local wines on the big day on flowers in pots rather than bouquets (so you can gift them or keep them rather than lose them), or on organic meals or on a band instead of a DJ – or just put it in your mortgage!

You can even spend the savings on your Greenhearts registry.  There are a lot of products that are made in developing countries or made right here. They’ll last a lifetime which saves money in the long term.

Here’s our gorgeous locally designed dresses that didn’t cost the earth.