Weddings - you either love ‘em or hate ‘em, can’t wait for ‘em, or can’t be bothered. But one thing we can agree on is that it’s a very special day when two people relish in the love they hold for one another, with their friends and family joining in the celebration. Or at least, you’d hope that’d be the case…
Many brides can’t wait to go dress shopping, with some following the traditional path of a flowy white gown, while others go off the beaten path and explore something more exotic. Sadly, not all brides are able to rejoice in the moment, as the costs quickly pile on and sacrifices have to be made. However, this bride had an idea that might change the prospects for many and open up doors to the wedding of their dreams.
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Gwendolyn Stulgis loved her wedding dress so much that she couldn’t just let it stay hanging in the wardrobe once the celebrations were over
Image credits: Gwendolyn Stulgis
Gwendolyn Stulgis, like most brides, wanted to feel beautiful on one of the most special days in her life. That meant finding the dress of her dreams, but it wasn’t an easy feat.
Just as it is searching for your one and only, sometimes they drop right into your lap, and other times they’re hidden under the crust of the earth, emerging once in a blue moon for 5 minutes at a time.
After visiting several shops, trying on dress after dress after dress, Gwen finally found the one she’d been searching for at a local boutique - Evaline's Bridal & Tuxedo, in Warren, Ohio.
The champagne-colored wedding dress by Allure Bridals featured beautiful sheer long sleeves and gorgeous beading and lace, hugging Gwen’s body as if it was made just for her.
She’d spent lots of time and energy searching for the dress of her dreams and once she found it, it was $2,000 over her budget
Image credits: Gwendolyn Stulgis
However, her dream dress was priced at $3,000 when she’d set a budget of $1,000, making it 3 times more expensive than she ever expected to pay. But she loved the dress way too much and after having tried on gowns in multiple other boutiques, it was too precious to pass on.
"I got emotional looking at it because it was everything I really wanted," she told Insider. "I don't think I could have pictured myself in anything else. That dress was just made for me."
Despite the heavy price tag, it was money well spent as she stunned everyone on her wedding day. May 6, 2022, was the eventful day that she tied the knot with her now-husband, Frank Stulgis. Once the celebrations were over, Gwen hung her dress up in the wardrobe. But it was not to stay there long.
Regardless of the price, she went for it, determined to feel like a princess on her special day
Image credits: Gwendolyn Stulgis
Bored Panda looked at a story of a woman keeping her honeymoon clothes for over 70 years, passing the suitcase on to future generations, and while for some, there may be a sentimental connection between a person and their clothing, evoking grand memories and nostalgia, others just don’t see it the same way.
Besides, while clothing serves as a piece of history, will a wedding dress really be reworn in 18-50 years’ time by a child or grandchild? They might want a different style of dress, or even a suit.
So instead of letting the dress just hang there for ages, away from the light of day, Gwen decided to make gown shopping a little less stressful for one future bride.
“A wedding dress shouldn't just be kept in a closet" Gwen decided, thus, she came up with an idea as to how she was going to pass it on
Image credits: Gwendolyn Stulgis
“I want someone else to feel the way I did on my wedding day - to look beautiful," she explained. "I want the person to feel like they are worth something. I want them to get the dress of their dreams without worrying about buying one. A wedding dress shouldn't just be kept in a closet."
Less than two weeks after the wedding, Gwen shared her desire to pass on the wedding dress to a future bride in a post on Facebook.
She wrote: “So after much consideration, I have decided to give away my Wedding dress. I want it to go to a woman who deserves to have a dress of her dreams that can’t afford one or settled for something more in her price range. I felt absolutely gorgeous in it and I want someone else to feel how I felt.”
Less than two weeks after her wedding, she went on to Facebook to announce a contest in which a lucky bride-to-be was to win her dress, but there was a catch
Image credits: Gwendolyn Stulgis
There were three conditions to be met in order to get the dress: The bride was to write a couple of paragraphs as to why she deserved the dress, the wedding had to be sometime within the next three months, and the bride was to promise to pass it on too. "I have been very fortunate to have the dress of my dreams, I am forever grateful. There is no real sense to box up such a beautiful dress," she added.
She and her husband looked over each submission every night after she posted the offer, until, on June 4, they picked the winner - Margaret Hyde. Her future sister-in-law, Alycia Ashley, had secretly sent in a submission because the bride-to-be was hesitant to do so herself. "Margaret is just an amazing person. She is the type of person that will give you the shirt off of her back. She's always the one doing the giving," said Alycia.
The bride was to have her wedding in three months and promised to pass the dress along once the festivities were over
Image credits: Gwendolyn Stulgis
"I was in complete shock; I feel extremely loved," Margaret said after the win, thanks to Alycia’s submission. "I'm a simple girl that wears jeans and T-shirts, so I don't normally wear dresses. I'm looking forward to feeling like a princess for a day."
She was planning on making her own wedding dress before seeing Gwen’s post. Margaret intends to hold true to her promise of passing the dress along to another after her wedding.
Since her original post last May, Gwen told Insider that 12 brides had offered to give away their wedding dresses through the ‘Shared Dream Dresses’ Facebook group that she started. The women aren’t only offering dresses but also shoes, accessories, and even mother-of-the-bride dresses and bridesmaids’ dresses too!
The contest ignited a Facebook group called ‘Shared Dream Dresses,’ which now has 1.2k members donating their wedding dresses and accessories
Image credits: Gwendolyn Stulgis
The latest update on Gwen’s personal Facebook profile states that they have reached over 1.2K members. “Up 200 since last night! I appreciate you all. We are helping others and it just makes me so happy,” she wrote. “Please keep sharing so we can help so many others and reach those who want to share their dresses.”
Whether you feel the same way about your dress or not, at the end of the (wedding) day, there is no right or wrong decision when it comes to it.
Easy Weddings detail multiple things you can do with your gown, from making it into an art piece, preserving it, repurposing it, or donating it to charities that make tiny gowns for stillborn babies or those that passed away earlier than ever expected. Every bride will be different, so just do what feels right for you, and if you are unsure, just put it away and think about it for a bit longer.
"I want to help as many women as I can find their dream dress," Gwen said, and she’s well on her way to doing just that, making their special day all the more memorable
Image credits: Gwendolyn Stulgis
But as for Gwen, she made a very practical choice and opened the door for future brides to be able to find the dress that will make them the happiest they could ever be, without having to worry too much about the price.
"I want to help as many women as I can find their dream dress," Gwen said. "I honestly didn't think it would get this much traction but I am excited to see it blossom. Everyone should feel the magic and beauty I felt the day I married my best friend."
We wish Gwen and Frank all the best and lots of sunny days ahead! Can't wait to see what the ‘Shared Dream Dresses’ will grow into!
Let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below and I wish you, dear reader, a wonderous day/evening ahead!
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