‘Operation Wedding Gown’ helped military brides-to-be

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Summer is traditionally wedding season and anyone who’s gotten married or been to a wedding knows it can get pricey very quickly.

But since 2012, the non-profit Brides for a Cause has helped cut down the cost of wedding dresses while supporting many different charities.

This weekend, the Brides for a Cause store at Southeast Division and 10th in Portland held one of their two yearly wedding dress giveaways, this time for military brides and first responders.

“Operation Wedding Gown” gave away wedding dresses to “qualified and registered brides” who are either currently on active duty, a military veteran within the past 5 years or a first responder.

Leah Hostetler, a bridal stylist at the Portland location, said her job “is to help the brides find their wedding dresses and just guide them through the process of looking through the racks and seeing what we have here.”

She said all their dresses are donated and their profits “support hundreds” of “women-focused charities.”

A sign inside their store said, “Since 2012, Brides for a Cause has recycled over 35,000 wedding dresses and raised over $2 million for charity.”

Hostetler said it “was really cool to get (future brides to) find” the dress they want.

The Portland location teamed up with Brides Across America for this particular event, and another one is planned for November.

“We’re so happy to have been able to team up with Brides Across America for this event,” Hostetler told KOIN 6 News. “It’s really cool to get to be able to help and just provide this opportunity for people. We’re really happy to be able to do that.”