Formal designs from some of the fashion industry’s top names will be sold for a fraction of their original price this weekend.
Think Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka and Melissa Sweet — all up for grabs at the YWCA of Central Virginia’s Prom Dress Super Sale, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Bridal and formal gowns will be sold in four different spots in the building, located downtown at 626 Church St., including the YWCA’s Church Street Bridal and Church Street Bridal, Too.
Proceeds from all sales go directly back to the YWCA’s programs, including its Domestic Violence Prevention Center and the Y Gyrl Leaders Mentoring Program for Teens.
Michelle Duncan, bridal shop manager and events coordinator, says the average price of formal gowns will be about $75, with some as cheap as $5, for dresses that would normally sell for anywhere between $150 and $6,000.
“Some of them definitely look red carpet,” Executive Director Caroline Hudson says of their selection of dresses, all of which are donated from bridal shops around the country.
Vendors — a florist, photographer, limo company and undergarment shop — will also set up booths in the lobby.
Duncan says the sale gets bigger every year.
“I think a lot of people come just for the fun of it,” she says. “It’s become an event.”
The bonus, she adds, is that it’s not only raising money for the YWCA. It’s also raising awareness.
“People are coming in and seeing (us). There’s something to be said for seeing where your money is going.”
Church Street Bridal opened in 2004, followed by Church Street Bridal, Too, which sells bridesmaid, prom, mother-of-the-bride and cocktail dresses, in 2007.
Both sell brand new, donated designer gowns from overstock, fashion show or floor sample inventories at extremely marked-down prices (for example, you’re likely to find dresses worth between $800 and $10,000 for between $200 and $500). Extras like flower girl dresses, veils, tiaras and shoes are also sold in both shops.
Bridal Shop manager Michelle Duncan says their biggest dress sponsors are Kleinfeld Bridal, a New York City shop profiled in the TLC show “Say Yes to the Dress,” and Becky’s Bridals and Formals in Buena Vista.
The shop’s proceeds all go back into the YWCA , making them a vital part of its day-to-day operations.
“We would’ve had to make huge program cuts if we didn’t have that bridal shop,” says Caroline Hudson, executive director. “It makes a huge difference.”
The shops are open from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call (434) 847-7751 or visit www.churchstreetbridal.com.
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