Between the shoes, the veil, the jewelry and the dress, being a bride can be pricey. When you find a dress that you absolutely LOVE, but totally hate the price, sometimes it can add a little stress. But for military brides, there is Operation Wedding Gown.

Aaaaaaannnnnd cue…Brides Across America.

I first heard about this program last year when a colleague of mine was getting married and mentioned she received her dream wedding dress FOR FREE.

“FREE?!?” But, But….HOW?!?!?

Twice a year, bridal boutiques across the country come together to donate wedding gowns to brides who are engaged to service members or who are active duty themselves. And we’re not talking about THOSE kind of wedding dresses: the ones with the poofy shoulders and lace and mesh from the neck down. Oh no. We’re talking Justin Alexander. Maggie Sottero. Alfred Angelo. When a military bride walks out the door, she walks out with a BEAUTIFUL bridal gown from one of the best in the business.

In order to participate, the bride or groom must have had a military overseas deployment within the past five years or have an upcoming deployment. The couple must also be engaged and planning a wedding within 18 months.

For this particular event, I visited with the team of Anderson’s Brides. This group of women were AHHHHH-MAZING!! Seriously, some of the most beautiful souls I’ve ever met. They created such a fun atmosphere, catering to each bride with such love and excitement.

I enjoyed this event for so many different reasons. Of course I LOVED the fact that I found my dream gown (Talk about a GREAT BIRTHDAY GIFT!!), but I also felt so humbled to give to others. I loved so much how they allowed me to be able to give and receive. Seeing ladies excitement as they won different photo packages totally made me smile.

Military couples will aways have a special place in my heart because…well the military is my family. There are situations and things that bond all of us together and to see small businesses help brides, especially military brides in any way, it truly truly warms my heart.

 Anderson’s, Brides Across America…thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much for allowing me to participate in this event. It was by far the greatest birthdays EVER!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo,