Dresses | The Brides' Project

March 16, 2019

The long and the SHORT of it

Many brides shudder when the words “two-dress bride” are brought up in conversation. It’s usually applied to cases where a decision was too hastily made on that first dress and/or the shopping continued. (By the way, just… don’t. You’ll always find another dress if you keep shopping!!!) However, one reasonable exception does exist… when it refers to a more practical option to back up the full-length gown. In fact, we can’t think of any reason NOT to have a second, short dress! By the way, we have a lot. Yes, a lot.

Top reasons to buy a short dress at The Brides’ Project:

They’re inexpensive. Short dresses at The Brides’ Project range in price from $100 to $500, with the average about $200.

Help fight cancer. All profits from the purchase of your short dress are sent directly to cancer charities. While you might not have found your ceremony gown here, let us help with your party dress! Click here to find out about the wonderful organizations we support!

They’re zero-waste. All our dresses are donated… and either saved from hiding in the back of someone’s closet, or destined for some other untimely demise. Many are redesigned from longer gowns and given a newer, fresh look.

Show off your shoes! Not all bridal shoes are plain off-white pumps. We’ve seen some pretty spectacular footwear – whether colourful or sparkly or both. Let them shine.

Bust a groove all night long. There’s a certain elegance to the full length bridal gown that can’t be replaced. And it has its place, and its time. Like all good things, that time comes to an end… and marks the beginning of Twirl, Spin, repeat!

Pop-up Wedding/Destination Wedding/Shower/Bachelorette. You still want to look like a bride, or a bride to be… but not in an uber-formal way. Or you’re having an outdoor or destination wedding. A short dress is the PERFECT solution!!

Make an appointment and come on in to find your perfect short dress.

February 25, 2019February 26, 2019

Is it Vintage, or just old?

Well, I’m doing the ‘happy dance’ today. I just realized that according to our criteria at The Brides’ Project, I’m not just ‘old’… I can actually be considered vintage (that is, pre-1970). Sure sounds better, doesn’t it!

We have a great collection of vintage wedding dresses that are from the ’20s to late 60’s. I should let you know, however, that many of them are very small – humans seemed to have become a larger species in the intervening decades! So, for the most part, these fabulous dresses from days gone by are sizes 00 to 4 (which loosely translates to 2-8 in bridal sizing) and there are a few that are in sizes 6/8. The icing on the cake is that the average price is $150-200, so you can easily spoil yourself and even make this a second dress for the big day! If vintage is your aesthetic, make an appointment and pay us a visit. We’d love to see these gowns enjoyed again. Your purchase not only saves a dress from landfill (zero-waste!) but also helps us raise money to fight cancer. That’s what I call a win-win!

Also keep in mind, that if you buy a vintage dress, have your mother’s dress or another family treasure… there are plenty of resources to get that dress ready to go down the aisle. Often a first step is to have it professionally cleaned and/or restored. Fabrics tend to discolour over time, and many vintage pieces need a bit of love. We sent several of our pieces to Grace Gown Care since they are THE place to go for any wedding gown work and have over 30 years experience in restoring vintage gowns. Your newly restored gown will probably need a few alterations to fit like a glove and don’t forget that you can also add a little bit of modern flair – just consult with one of the seamstresses on our list who would be happy to help! Click here.

Dresses freshly restored from Grace Gown Care.

January 26, 2019

Trash, Treasure or Donate?

I was contacted by a writer recently who is putting together an article about the whole debate on whether to trash or treasure that gown you wear on your wedding day. I get asked frequently about my opinion on this topic, and of course I want everyone to donate their dress… but here are some reasons why.

“Y’know, I’m all for brides truly enjoying their dresses on the day! The act of deliberately trying to ruin something that can be worth thousands of dollars, however, seems to be a symptom of the ‘disposable’ society we have become. Long gone are the days of wearing our mother’s gowns and passing them down from generation to generation, but that certainly does not mean that these garments become worthless after ‘the big day’. Quite the contrary! It would be nice to see a new tradition continue of passing the dress on to another bride to enjoy and fighting cancer at the same time 😉 Donors are invited to include a note with their dress for the new bride, and this is a lovely way to wish the new bride happiness as she embarks on her marriage and to pass on that great karma from one happy bride to the next. Some dresses come through here several times… and just like the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants; there’s often a personal touch added each time so the dress is never exactly the same.

For brides who shop here, the dresses we offer provide a wonderful option. Not only are they cost-conscious (typically half or less than half the retail value), but it’s also an environmentally conscious choice (reuse!) and one that is socially conscious. Many express their delight that while they would have spent money on a dress one way or another, this way they are making a meaningful contribution. Since I think it’s fair to say that we’ve all been touched by cancer… that contribution is one that benefits our family, friends and loved ones.

I had an absolutely delightful bride here on Sunday who had lost her father to cancer a year ago. Buying her dress here was an incredibly important and meaningful event for her… and as she left she said to me, “I think my father would be proud of me.” I couldn’t agree more. He may not be around to walk her down the aisle, but as I hopefully like to think, the advancements in research and treatment might mean that someone else’s father IS there. Wouldn’t that be the best wedding gift of all?

And finally… it has to be said… our earth and our environment shouldn’t come at the expense of a bit of fun and a photo shoot. You know what these words mean – carbon footprint, sustainability and finally… Zero Waste. The latter may not be achievable in its entirety, but shouldn’t we at least make that our aim?

Just some food for thought.

‘Plastic Planet’ – pallet wrap and plastic bags/Yoshi Matsuzaki Photo, Michelle Sin Design

Found in article by Michelle Sin called: Wear the Change: Project Trashion

June 20, 2015

Introducing the Mr. & Mrs!

We just love it when our clients send us photos of the big day. It’s great to see them looking so beautiful and so happy, and allows us to vicariously enjoy a little piece of the excitement! Congratulations and a big Thank You to Jenn and her hubby Sebastian who sent us the shots below that are taken by Sarah Thomson of Tree Fort Photography. Jenn’s dress and veil are from The Brides’ Project.

Here’s the bride with her bridal party:

And with her handsome hubby :

And from all of us… we hope you share a lifetime of love and laughter!!