When a member of the military gets married, it can be a bittersweet moment. Amid the joy is the understanding that the bride or groom could be deployed and the new couple would face separation, worry and danger. Brides Across America wants to thank military families and add a little to the sweetness of the occasion by offering brides free wedding dresses. Participating bridal shops across the country will hold special one-day events between November 6 and November 24, 2012, during which qualifying brides can choose a wedding gown — first come, first served. The only cost for brides is a $20 tax-deductible donation.
The program is intended for couples in which one of the members has recently been deployed or will soon be deployed. In order to qualify, the participant must be engaged or must have had a civil ceremony and be planning a wedding within the next 18 months. The participant must not have had a formal wedding yet. The bride or groom must have been deployed within the past five years or will be deployed, to Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Bahrain, Libya, Kuwait, Korea or Japan.
On the day of the event, brides must bring a driver’s license or military ID for verification and must also bring a copy of deployment papers that include the time of deployment and location.
Brides must pre-register. The registration includes the name of the bridal salon, your approximate dress size and the $20 donation. You can find a list of participating bridal salons, by state, on the front page of Brides Across America’s website.
Jody Mace
Jody Mace is a freelance writer who has written for publications like O Magazine, Washington Post, and Parents. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband and two teenaged kids. Her colleagues are dogs named Harlow and Shaggy. She publishes Charlotte on the Cheap and takes the “cheap” seriously. For fun she plays mandolin and browses at her local Goodwill Store, where she is “Foursquare Mayor,” as long as that Russell G. doesn’t steal it from her again. You can see her celebration of thrift store finds at Thrift Wrecks.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.