Wedding Dress Donation

The search for my wedding dress was not unlike the search for the groom: it took longer than I imagined; I found a few potential ones, only to figure out that they weren’t right for me; there were many tears, and finally, when I least expected it, I found one that was better than I imagined. My mom and mother-in-law were there to witness most of my dress searching. (Husband was even there for a short time, as he’d play chauffeur and then would end up napping in the car while we tried on the dresses. He also got mistaken for my brother by one of the dress shop owners, which was both funny and awkward.) In the end, we all agreed that the dress I found was perfect for me. It was beautiful and simple, and in terms of price, it was a deal. Originally, I put it on hold because I thought I wanted to think about it. But minutes later, as we were driving out of the parking lot, I said dramatically, “Stop the car! I want to buy the dress!” And I ran into the store and bought it that same day. After the wedding, I knew I wanted to donate it. It was such a pretty dress that I couldn’t accept the idea of it sitting in a closet for years, never to be worn again. Surprisingly, the search to donate it has been more challenging than I thought. First, I almost donated it to an international organization that I contacted, but I never heard from them. There were a couple of other organizations that wanted it, but then their dress sales were canceled. More recently, we thought a needy girl that lived near my grandma would want it, but it turns out she already had a dress. But finally, this past week, I found an organization that is happy to have it. I’m thrilled that another girl will get to wear it on her special day, and all the proceeds will help a very worthy organization. I’m happy to donate the dress because I’m keeping the real prize from my wedding: the groom.