“When I walked down the aisle, he said, ‘Yep, that’s definitely you.’”
Shay Pauling is now enjoying life as a wife, but last March she was planning her November 2025 nuptials and had not yet found her dress.
“I’m not picky,” she laughed. “If I found something for $500 or $600, I wasn’t going to complain at all. I just knew Goodwill would have something for me.”
Shay first heard about the event from her friend Laura, who had attended the year before and encouraged her to try the sale to find a dream dress at an affordable price. With her friend in tow, she woke up early for the one-day event and was eighth in line.
While Goodwill is not a bridal boutique, the nonprofit understands how monumental this moment is for brides and works to make the event feel special.
Even before stepping inside, she felt the joy of the event. Staff greeted brides with treats, upbeat music and warm energy.
“Everybody was in such a great mood,” she said. “This was before we even got in – it already felt special.”
Once inside the warehouse, Shay was amazed by the variety.
“There was something for everybody,” she said. “If you wanted simple, you had options. If you wanted full-on glam, that was there too. Anything you could imagine.”
For Shay, the Bridal Pop-Up offered more than affordability. It provided community, joy and an environment that made her feel like a bride.
“All the brides were helping each other,” she said. “If someone didn’t want a dress, they’d put it back so someone else could have a chance. In the dressing rooms, we were all cheering each other on. It felt like being at home.”
Like many brides, she found her dream dress at the sale for a fraction of the regular retail price.
“I put my hands on it and held on for dear life,” she said. “When I looked it up later and saw it retailed for $1,800 and I paid $200, I was beyond the moon.”
She still can’t believe someone donated it. “If I could wear it every day, I would,” she joked. “It hurts my feelings that it’s just sitting in the closet in a black bag!”
Shay took her bridal portraits a week before the wedding and fell in love with the gown all over again. “You’re going to look stunning in whatever you choose,” she said, offering advice to brides attending this year’s sale. “Don’t worry about that.”
Shay and her husband were married on Nov. 1, 2025, and her dream dress moment remains one of her favorite memories from the entire wedding journey.
The Bridal Pop-Up Sale returns for its seventh annual event on Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Goodwill Opportunity Campus, located at 5301 Wilkinson Boulevard in west Charlotte. Most bridal gowns will be priced from $99 to $499, and select designer dresses that are new with original tags will be priced up to $999. Special occasion, prom and bridesmaid dresses will be priced at $49 each, or three for $100. Shoes will start at $9.99.
“I highly recommend it,” she said. “It’s not a last resort. There is something for everyone. It was a beautiful experience, start to finish.”
