Yes, to the dress! It’s the words brides are hoping to say when they find their dream dress. But for many brides, the thought of finding a bridal gown without breaking the bank, can seem nearly impossible.
“No, I didn’t have $2000 to spend on a dress,” said Cynthia Pettyjohn Jones.
Jones found her dress at a fraction of the cost at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont’s annual Bridal Pop-Up Sale.
She heard about the event through her niece, who saw it promoted on social media. Not long after, she heard the event mentioned on the news.
Without even going to a boutique to try on dresses, she rallied her “I do” crew to attend the event with her, hoping to find the dress of her dreams.
“The last dress that I tried on, which was at the top of my budget is the one that I purchased,” Cynthia explained.
She paid $500. Her dress was brand new with tags on it and retailed for $1,200.
“It was very exciting, you know, to find a brand-new dress at a fraction of the cost,” Cynthia exclaimed.
According to The Knot Real Weddings Study, which surveyed nearly 10,000 U.S. couples who got married in 2022, the average wedding dress cost in 2023 was about $2,000.
In addition to the cost of the dress, there’s other costs for brides to consider – veils, alterations, shoes, jewelry and more. Cynthia was lucky enough to find her veil and a belt to accessorize her dress at the pop-up at reduced prices.
While brides save money for the big day, they also are doing good for the community. Sales from the Bridal Pop-Up event help to support Goodwill’s mission of providing tuition-free job training and career services to members in the Charlotte region.
While Goodwill is not a bridal boutique, the nonprofit works to make the event feel special for brides.
“I thought it was just such a nice event. I thought it was just going to be go stand in line, hope you get in, hope you find something. But they made the event really nice,” Cynthia explained of her experience as she waited in line the morning of the event. “They had a DJ out there. They had coffee, hot cocoa, chocolate covered strawberries and pastries,” she added.
Brides who attend this year’s event can expect flower walls with props to take photos, refreshments, shared dressing rooms and even giveaways.
For brides who plan to attend this year’s event Jones has a few suggestions for you. She says, “Bring some people with you, because you’re going to need help grabbing dresses. And wear comfortable shoes.”
The bridal sale returns for its sixth annual event Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Goodwill Opportunity Campus, located at 5301 Wilkinson Boulevard in west Charlotte. Most bridal gowns will be priced from $99 – $499, and select designer dresses that are new with the original tags still on will be priced up to $999. Special occasion, prom, and bridesmaid dresses will be priced $49 each, or 3 for $100. Shoes will start at $9.99. For more information, click here.
