Dress shopping is one of the most exciting aspects of preparing for your wedding. There are endless options, budgets, and styles, and there is no shortage of bridal boutiques in Toronto and the GTA. Exciting? Yes. Overwhelming? Certainly. Now what if you could find your perfect dress, that special "ah-ha" moment, and simultaneously be providing a charitable donation to a local cancer fighting organization? Best Idea Yet.
The Brides' Project, open in 2004, accepts donated dresses from previous brides, salons & designers, and resells them to support cancer charities with the profits. To date, the company has raised close to $1 Million, and is run completely by volunteers. These pre-loved dresses sell for $100-$1500, approximately half of their original retail price, with the average gown priced at $600.
Dress shopping with The Bride's Project is a slightly different experience than working with a salon or designer, as the dresses have likely been previously altered, and although sizing is plentiful (they carry sizes 00-26), each dress is unique, and cannot be ordered in a different size/fit. Similar to a salon, you must book an appointment, wear NO make-up, and can have 1-2 friends accompany you. Unlike a salon, you're encouraged to search through the dresses in your size, and are offered the opportunity to find what you really love and would like to try on (approximately 5/6 dresses per appointment). If you love to thrift, enjoy the rush of finding a beautiful hidden gem, or are on a strict budget, this store is definitely for you.
With so many obvious options for dress shopping, this unique little boutique offers a once in a lifetime experience, and a philanthropic element to your dress shopping. The company has been known to carry a variety of well known designers such as Pronovias, Maggie Sottero, Venus, Sophia Tolli, Mori Lee, Alfred Sung, Paloma Blanca, as well as Saris, Lenghas, and Cheongsams/Qipaos for Asian and South Asian Brides.
As an experience based company, NudeTO has always encouraged exciting, new, and generous ways for a bride to make her wedding her own. We love The Bride's Project, and support their philanthropic mission, one dress at a time!
For more information on the boutique, click here.
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