One wedding down, three to go.
Before we share those stories, I wanted to go back to how we got here...
My neighborhood was hit by the first tornado, early in the morning on April 27. Trees and power lines were down everywhere. Neighbors did what they could to help each other, and then braced for what was to come that afternoon. We were incredibly blessed. The unbelievably powerful storms spared our neighborhood the second time around. While we still had damaged trees to cut down, fences to rebuild, a roof to repair, my husband and I felt incredibly grateful.
We wanted to do something to help. But what? We started by taking toys and food and newspapers and towels to GBHS. We dropped off bags of clothes, crutches and blankets. We took toys and crayons and bubbles for the kids staying in the shelters. But I never felt like I had done the "right" thing. I knew there was something I needed to do, something that would satisfy my desire to do something for someone else, but I hadn't yet been called to do it.
Then one morning I had a fleeting thought. It was the beginning of wedding season - surely there was a bride-to-be somewhere in our area who had lost her wedding dress in the destructive storms. I wondered how I could find her and give her my dress. Weddings are stressful enough - I didn't want finding another dress in a hurry - and paying for it - to be one more thing weighing on her mind and on her heart. I talked to my husband, a co-worker, and a friend. And by that afternoon, the Facebook page was up. By the end of the day, there were close to 50 fans. By the end of the week, maybe 20 people had contacted me wanting to help. The following week, I got a call from the Birmingham News. I was interviewed and photographed. It seemed silly to me, really. All I'd wanted to do was give my wedding dress to someone who needed it. But... God had another plan.
When the long article with color photos came out, I was shocked. My inbox was flooded with emails from generous, thoughtful people wanting to give their time, talent and treasures. Now there were photographers, cake bakers, hairstylists, graphic artists, musicians, seamstresses and more offering to donate their services. There were brand new dresses free to good homes. Custom-made gowns, family heirlooms, flower girl dresses, candles, aisle runners, mother-of-the-bride outfits - if it was something you could use in a wedding, somebody somewhere had offered it.
Quickly overwhelmed, I was ecstatic when a retired schoolteacher in Vincent, Alabama offered to become an admin for the page to help me out. I have still not met Rosemary Bouchet face-to-face, but when I do, I owe her a ginormous hug for saving my sanity, and so much more.
Together, Rosemary and I have kept track of more than 100 donations from countless states, and even offers from outside the US. We now have 760 fans of the Facebook page. But more importantly, we are able to help brides in more ways than we could have ever imagined.
So far, we have been in touch with more than 10 brides. Their stories are vastly different. Most of them are in Alabama. One is near Joplin, MO. One is in Haiti. Several of them are young mothers. A few had weddings planned the week the storms hit. Some had just started putting it all together. A couple of the brides lost everything they own. One lost family members, both on the bride's side and the groom's side. They lost homes and cars, dresses and programs, invitations and shoes and flowers. One lost her venue. Some weren't able to work following the storms, and they depleted their savings to provide food and ice and flashlights for their families.
But in addition to losing possessions and money, these ladies lost a dream. The weddings they had been planning - from a formal affair to a small country ceremony to an intimate, immediate- family-only day in the park - were drastically changed. The dates were changed, the venues, the people who could attend, what they would wear, and so much more. These ladies lost the sense of excitement and anticipation of their special day. One of the brides has not yet started to plan her "new" wedding because she and her fiancé want it to be a happy event. Right now their days are still too dark.
But... it's not all bad news. I guess that's why we're here. To help restore some sense of excitement, or at least peace, in knowing their wedding days will survive. While these ladies may feel frustrated, unsure of their futures, or not know how to put it all back together, we are here to help. In fact, we've gotten so busy, we've taken on a third admin. Mommy-to-be Ashley Brooke Doss has graciously offered to take some of the work from Rosemary and me.
But still, it's not just us giving these ladies their wedding day dreams back. It's all of us giving to our communities, to strangers, and to new friends. It's the women who have let go of their beloved dresses and shoes and tiaras. It's the gentlemen who are officiating services. It's the brides who are offering to share their flowers with other brides. It's photographers spending hours sweating in the summer sun, bakers whipping up yet another wedding cake in their already busy weekend schedules, and those creating bouquets one flower stem at a time. It's everyone - each of you - who have offered and given and dropped off and driven. You have wanted to shop and sew and sing for total strangers. You have handed over gowns you spent months searching for, so that someone else can wear them for one special day.
Your generosity and thoughtfulness and selflessness have made a difference in their lives, and in mine. You have brought joy and peace and love to these brides - and to their families and their communities. Because of you, we have been truly successful doing something that is both unique and amazing. You have made a difference. You’ve offered help, you’ve brought hope, and together, we've started to heal.
