If you planned a wedding for 2020, you've probably experienced quite a roller-coaster ride. Those who set a date either had to cancel it, postpone it, or plan a wedding over Skype. Since planning can be a headache even without any type of global issue preventing you from saying "I do," it's a truly stressful time for future brides and grooms. To help pay it forward, one bridal shop in Virginia is trying to make a difference. It is offering free dresses for health care workers out there who are planning to get married.
Ava Clara Couture Bridal announced the special giveaway on Instagram. "Due to the overwhelming response we have received, including generous gown donations from bridal designers @casablancabridal and @kennethwinston ✨we have decided to open our gown giveaway to all healthcare workers on the front lines," the Virginia Beach store announced. "We encourage all #healthcareheroes who have been impacted by the virus to apply and will choose the first 75 [who qualify]. Registration deadline is Friday, April 24th."
As wedding dresses can get a bit expensive, this is the perfect way to relieve some bridal pressure. Also, it's a wonderful way to show support.
"This special event is our way to express our appreciation and give back to the brave hospital workers on the front lines," Alex Fleear, Ava Clara Couture Bridal president, said in an interview with Good Morning America. "We couldn't think of a more worthy group of women to receive these free wedding gowns than the brave ladies who are risking their lives every day to help save ours."
Good Morning America revealed that the contest was being run with the help of an organization called Tulle 4 All. Prior to this giveaway, it helped donate gorgeous gowns to teachers. In 2018, it was a big success — and the nonprofit wanted to help create more ways to make sure brides in need had the dresses to make them feel confident.
"The idea was to [segue] 'Tulle 4 Teachers' into a giveaway for other occupations," Alex said. She added that with the health scare, it "immediately threw us into a giveaway for nurses." While health care workers have immediate needs for personal protection equipment for themselves and for people to stay home and maintain social distance, they'll definitely need dresses for their weddings when everything has settled down.
Curious about how to qualify? If you're engaged and work for a health care organization, you're almost good to go. All you need is proof that you work in a health care field and are currently working with patients who've tested positive for the virus. The Ava Clara Couture Bridal website has a registration page for those who'd like to enter.
The giveaway will distribute 75 dresses. Interested health care workers must fill out a questionnaire to be in the running. The maximum retail value of dresses that workers can win is set at $4,000. It's an especially generous offer, as the bridal store is one of the businesses that's had to close due to government orders.
Based on what's happening in the world, Alex told Good Morning America that she's lost roughly 80% of monthly revenue. She also had to cut back on most of her staff. "Though this time is trying, we are focusing on the good by organizing this event," she said. Hopefully, things will improve for the business in the future.
"Hopefully, this will impact our community to show we are all in this together," Alex added. "We really want to rally around our heroic health care workers as they are truly the ones who have impacted us the most since this outbreak." More and more people have started to understand the dire importance of doctors and nurses during this time.
While their job is to take care of those who are ill, there has been an influx of patients that nobody could have fully predicted, along with worries about whether or not they have adequate supplies to protect both their patients and themselves.
While it doesn't cost too much to elope, weddings can become a huge expense that many people struggle to afford. Many brides can score with dresses found in a thrift store or passed down from family members. But if they've had their eye on one particular dress, it's an added expense to the overall budget.
For many, a wedding may be something that a couple has been dreaming about for a long time. But based on the financial insecurity of today and the state of the economy, it's possible that some of those dream items may no longer be affordable. Thus this is a fabulous gesture.
According to NerdWallet, the average cost for a wedding in 2019 was $33,900. For many people out there, that's the equivalent of an annual salary. Even if some aspects of wedding planning have toned down a bit in recent years, it's still a big expense to feed a meal to your entire guest list.
As far as dress expenses go, Ava Clara Couture Bridal offers bridal dresses that range from $890 to $4,000. The dress shopping experience is one-on-one, and brides typically need an appointment to see a stylist. "From boho chic to princess ballgown we have a gown to fit your personality and wedding venue," the Ava Clara website states. "If you don’t see exactly what you are looking for, we would love to customize a dress for you."
Registration for the giveaway will close on April 24. Currently, there are more than 50 applicants. Winners will also be able to work with stylists in person. "Each bride selected will have 30 minutes to try on bridal gowns and go home with the wedding dress of their choice!" the website says. "Bridal stylists will be available to assist and answer any questions."
If anything, it's a wonderful bright spot for these hardworking health care workers to look forward to. Even if their days are filled with stress, at least they're prepping for their dream wedding to someone they love when they get a chance to breathe and relax.
