Archive for the ‘Donations’ Category
This weekend we added at least 30 dresses to our inventory; from individual brides, a salon, and also the collection of re-designed dresses from Samantha at Sparkle and Pomp that were sent down the runway at FAT (Fashion Art Toronto) Fashion Week. We’ll have pics of Samantha’s stuff in the upcoming weeks, but for now our staff picked 4 of their favourites to show you!
The first is a Jim Hjelm. This is a size 8 dress in ivory silk duchess satin, and the bodice is adorned with alencon lace with straps. It’s not nearly as revealing in the bust as the stock image suggests, and easily made a little more modest! Original retail $3800.
Our second pick was this incredible silk trumpet gown that was custom made… and what a piece of art it is! It’s about a size 10, completely unique with one-shoulder styling and cute rosebuds at the back of the knees to produce a lovely silhouette over the butt!
Front: Back:
Our third choice is this super fun Pronovias “Gaula” with lots of fluff! It’s crinkle tulle has a cathedral length train to sweep away the hearts of all your guests!
And… finally, for the bride who likes a bit of ‘risque’, we also just acquired a brand new Cymbeline (Paris) dress that takes the cake. The middle part that you see in the picture is removable to produce a short, flirty and fun dress for dancing. Gotta love this piece!
So it’s Friday, rainy and grey outside… but if you ever need a pick-me-up, all you have to do is check out one of Emily and Ken’s wedding pics!! These two have the most contagious smiles… and not just in one or two photos… but ALL of them! Christopher Luk Photography did the honours, and I’d bet he had a fun day documenting their wedding.
As Emily says,
I got married to my husband Ken on April 20 of this year and it was extra special because it is in one of your dresses!
Last summer, I visited multiple wedding dress boutiques and I was getting so frustrated because I couldn’t find a dress that I loved. One Saturday, I visited The Brides’ Project on a whim and found the one (and my veil)! The dress is a Pronovias and only needed minor alterations.
My experience with The Brides’ Project was so wonderful that I have told every bride-to-be that I know that they should visit.
Thank you so much for all you do for every bride-to-be who walks in your door and for our community as a whole.
Well, she looked phenomenal, also with noted thanks to Pom Penner who did “a flawless job” in altering her dress. Plus, she’s a hoot to work with 
Here’s my favourite picture:
Emily and Ken… may those smiles follow you every day ahead, rain or shine 
And thank you for sharing them with us!
Now that there really IS evidence of spring – leaves are starting to appear and daffodils, crocuses and other bulbs are popping up all around – our staff went through our collection and picked their 4 favourite dresses that remind them of spring and summer! These, and many many others are available in the shop. Book your appointment here!
The first two that they chose are beautifully simple, closely fit dresses with simple focal points. We chose the one below because mermaid styles are very in vogue, and the lines of this dress seem to make everyone who tries it on look really tall and lean!
The second one has a slightly different focal point with a vertical bow… also very stylish right now. This silk piece would also be extremely comfortable and light for outdoor ceremonies in the heat.
Speaking of heat, and yes, soon I’m sure we’ll all be commenting about it… they picked a lovely chiffon dress that would also be suitable for an outdoor wedding whether here or in the Caribbean! It’s simple, elegant and practical.
And finally… we all agreed that we needed something a little more fun and frivolous to add to our list of spring favourites! This silk gown is also very light, but has a lovely fluffy skirt accented with silk flowers with shoes to match… and what a wonderful piece to wear for a garden wedding!
Remember… these are only a few of the hundreds of dresses that we have available, including many pieces that are one of a kind. We receive at least one dress every day so the collection is constantly changing.
This week we had a great visit from Michelle Lawrie who is the National Executive Director of Camp Quality (on the right, below). Camp Quality has been one of our beneficiaries since the beginning, and they do incredible work offering the camp environment and other services to children with cancer.
Michelle’s also a newlywed… with a wonderful new addition coming to her family in October!! Congratulations twice over Michelle!
When she dropped by, she brought her stunning gown to offer to another bride, which Helen looks extremely excited about!
Michelle’s dress is a stunning size 10 Maggie Sottero in ivory lace… absolutely DELICIOUS! While she was here, we had a chance to chat about Camp Quality and their amazing services. Michelle had this message to pass along to our Brides’ Project staff and friends,
On July 28th – August 3rd, Camp Quality is partnering with Outward Bound Canada to run a week-long canoe trip in Algonquin Park for young adult cancer fighters, survivors and their siblings. We hope this will be the first of many trips aimed at getting young adults together to meet, bond and overcome some amazing challenges together.
It’s being able to provide kids and youth affected by childhood cancer with opportunities like this that make us so appreciative of the amazing donors who are there to help make them happen! Thank you to the Bride’s Project!
Thanks to all our clientele who have made this possible! And Thanks to Michelle for donating her gorgeous dress! It won’t last long… that’s for sure!
Today we had a lovely surprise… a visit from Jessica with the dress, veil and crinoline that she had bought here. She donated them back so they can be enjoyed again. Congratulations! You obviously had an incredible day, and thank you for sharing that with us.
I just love this picture of Jessica and Neil… she is beaming, and I don’t think her hubby could look more proud A special thanks to Byron Wong of Digistudio for the great shot!
What better thing to do over the long Easter weekend, than find a gorgeous frock at The Brides’ Project and go shopping at the One of a Kind show for a matching headpiece!
We’ve received some absolutely gorgeous dresses lately… in fact, we average at least one a day. Some are shipped from all corners of the country, and others are dropped off at the shop by the lovely brides themselves. Here’s just one example of our new arrivals. If you’d like to try on this timeless lace gown, we have a couple of appointments available this weekend. Click here to book a spot!
And once you have that perfect dress… pop on down to the One of a Kind show for more shopping fun. There you will find not only oodles of amazing handicrafts, but also two of our colleagues who will create the perfect headpiece to accessorize your gown. Or, you might just decide… What’s Easter without a new hat?!!!
You will find Karyn Gingras of Lilliput Hats at Booth I-7:
And… Alisha Stephens of Love Charlie at Booth M-22. I noticed that she also has some bridal headpieces with her at the show.
We receive a large volume of email, and we love all the notes we receive. It’s helps to remind us of the the impact The Brides’ Project has on the people who come in and participate.
Thank you so much Melanie – your note brought a smile, some very happy tears, and renewed inspiration
[Shopping at The Brides' Project] was one of the most special parts of the wedding experience for me. You may not even know how much this dress meant to both of us. I picked out my dress just before Christmas. Only a week later, on Boxing Day, Brad’s mother told the family all gathered together that she had just found out she had uterine cancer and was going to have a complete hysterectomy in a few short weeks. Her biggest fear was not being ready in time for our wedding day, which we were celebrating at her house! Our biggest fear was not having her to celebrate with at all. On the day we picked up our marriage license, we got the news that we had lost Jack Layton just moments before we picked it up. He had been such a friend and ally to us and our community in his time on this earth, and he touched us deeply. We were both struck with such overwhelming sadness – and yet strangely, such joy knowing that we had helped to support your projects only months before, comforted the knowledge that he would have been so glad that we were doing what we could even long before he lost his battle. It gave us great hope. On the day of our wedding, we remembered Brad’s beautiful grandmother, who he loved dearly and takes after in his talent for art, and his wonderful grandfather, with whom he was so close, who both lost a battle with cancer and could not be there to share in our joy, and we also celebrated his nana’s victory over breast cancer only a few short years ago, grateful to have had her with us.This dress and all your kindness meant the world to both of us. Brad has three sisters and the reality of the hereditary nature of breast cancer is with us always. Thank you for everything you do, and for allowing us to be a part of it. I can’t wait to share this dress with someone else.
Melanie and Brad, thank you so much! Mel is bringing her dress back to ‘mama’, so that it can be loved again… and again. Make an appointment to come on in and have a chance to take home a dress filled with beautiful thoughts and karma!!!
Sometimes when I wander through the racks upon racks of dresses here, they kinda start to look the same. It’s hard when you’re shopping to sift through and wonder what they’d actually look like on a woman instead of a hanger. Many are truly brought to life by having a bride inside, and this couldn’t be more true with Angela’s dress! She had this piece custom designed for her size 18 figure, and it’s a masterpiece. It beautifully accentuates her curves, and it’s a perfect match for her fun and whimsical self – almost as perfect a match as her hubby Chris!
We were thrilled when Angela popped in a couple of weeks ago and was so excited to hand over her dress and offer it another home. The clincher… she ROCKED the dress, and had such an amazing day that the glow was still there. We share her wish that another bride feels just as incredible in this frock on her special day The headpiece is here as well if you’d like the entire outfit!
Thank you so much Angela! Our staff loved your visit, your exuberance, and the beautiful sentiments you have passed on for the next bride who finds your dress. We’d also like to also thank her photographer Kevin Fung who took these incredible pics.
We’d like to extend a huge Thank You to Pauline Scott of the Coach House Bridal Salon in Waterdown. She took the time and trouble to drive all the way in to Toronto to bring us about 50 dresses to add to our collection. We don’t have pics, because the minute we post a new dress, it’s gone… and indeed, several have found new homes already. We’re also grateful to several brides who dropped off their dresses this weekend, and one of those was snapped up within an hour!!!
Donations, whether big or small make a huge difference here! Thank you!
Alberta bride Lauren enjoyed her October wedding in cowboy boots and a sparkly, sweetheart gown, which she was kind enough to donate to us!
Lauren had a wonderful time at her wedding this past October and hopes that the next bride to wear the gown has as wonderful a time as she did!
Many brides who come into the shop are surprised to learn that dresses that have already walked down the aisle sell faster than new gowns. We find that a dress that’s “the one” for one bride will often be “the one” for another!
Congratulations Lauren, and thank you for your generous donation!
Photos by Fiona Webb “Images by Fiona”
I’m absolutely delighted to share the great news that Brooke at Runway Bridal in Belleville made Christmas extra special at The Brides’ Project! Thanks so much Brooke for these STUNNING new additions to our inventory, I have no doubt that they will sell quickly and help us reach our $110,000 goal in 2013.
Make your appointment now to come and try on these delicious dresses.
With a HUGE thank you to all our donors, brides to be and volunteer staff, I am absolutely tickled pink to report that we donated just over $100,000 in 2012. This is absolutely incredible, and a milestone that would be impossible to achieve without the contribution of so many people.
This year our donations supported Camp Quality, Relay for Life (Canadian Cancer Society), Gilda’s Club, Wellspring, Prostate Cancer Canada, the Terry Fox Foundation, the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers (Princess Margaret Hospital) and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Needless to say, we plan to continue this support in 2013. Thank you, thank you and THANK YOU for your tremendous support!
Helen Sweet (founder)
We love to dress up for events at The Brides’ Project—after all, we do donate our time to hang out in a house full to the brim with white wedding gowns. Every November, TBP switches it up from our usual gowns and veils and don some ‘staches for Movember. This year we will be making a donation to Prostate Cancer Canada.
To get in the spirit, our volunteers got our moustaches on!
Allison went all out – mustache, goatee, and… fascinator?
Dawn gets shows some sass for Movember!
Sasha rocks the ‘stache and veil
One of our favourite things at The Brides Project is seeing dresses with good karma come into the shop… and then walk right out the door again in the hands of another bride. Some of our dresses have been in three or four weddings, and are still in wonderful shape and ready for more bridal bliss.
When newlywed Briana brought in her lace gown with a lovely keyhole back, we knew it wouldn’t last long. In fact, it sold the very next day! She loved her gown and we know the next bride will too!
This dress was comfortable and absolutely gorgeous, and I hope someone else loves it as much as I did!
Here’s the beautiful Brianna and husband Ted on their wedding day photographed by Nica Zajac of Soultree Photography (and aren’t Ted’s socks just the perfect accent!).
This year, you’ll see a gaggle of staff and friends of The Brides’ Project attending the Run for the Cure 2012 on Sunday September 30th at U of T Campus. We take part in this terrific event to celebrate the advances in cancer research and treatment that have kept us, our friends, sisters, mothers, aunts, grandmothers and others with us today. We also take part to remember those we’ve lost.
We welcome you to join us in the sea of pink, and/or to make a donation to our team! The Brides’ Project is contributing $15,000 for this effort, and these funds are made available with thanks to the wonderful brides who have donated their wedding dresses, and the lucky new brides-to-be who gave them a new home Thank you all for making this possible!
We love to hear about what other members of The Brides’ Project community are doing to fight cancer, and I must say, this one is a whopper!
Sarah (who donated her gorgeous dress), is now approaching the last few days of her Vancouver to Halifax bike tour with her hubby Jim.
They took on this challenge in honour of Sarah’s father who they lost to brain cancer in December and for other friends and family members who have battled the terrible disease. It is the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride from Vancouver to Halifax from September 5th to 21st, where 100% of the funds raised are divided between the 17 pediatric oncology facilities across Canada. Their goal as a couple is to raise $50k for the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation by December. There are links online about how to get involved, join them in the ride and/or make a donation. In addition, if any of the members of the community want to get their companies and schools involved, they have offered to host an “Inside Ride” spinning bike team-builder fundraiser in Oct. or Nov.
From all of us… congratulations and kudos. May the roads be smooth, the winds at your back and the skies fair for the remainder of your journey.
Again this year, members of our crew will be out to support the Terry Fox Run, and the Brides’ Project will be providing a donation of $15,000.
Helen Sweet, our founder, had the following words to share about this event:
I started The Brides’ Project in 2004 in memory of my best friend Lisa who I lost to cancer when we were only 9 years old. She had the same cancer as Terry Fox, and like him, lost her leg and finally succumbed to the disease. We grew up just outside St. John’s, where Terry started his run and I vividly remember thinking how remarkable this man was to take on such an immense challenge for people like my friend Lisa.
For the past 8+ years, I have operated The Brides’ Project to help fight cancer, and it all started due to the inspiration provided by these two remarkable individuals.
I recently read an article in the Chatham Daily News that was hugely inspirational, about a man diagnosed with the same cancer some 20 years later. Doctors managed to salvage not only his leg, but his life. This is testament to the great advances that have been made in cancer research, and the fact that our efforts, our dollars and our time make a huge difference. Read it here.
I am particularly impressed by the Terry Fox Foundation because they are efficient and effective! 85 cents on the dollar goes directly to research. Given the rate of advancement in research, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect that we can find a cure in our lifetime… with your help. Every dollar counts, and we are so grateful for your support. Just as Terry and Lisa never gave up, never complained, and never felt sorry for themselves, I think WE can all do more to inspire those around us to make a difference in our lifetimes.
We welcome you to JOIN OUR TEAM as we take part at Wilket Creek in Toronto, or MAKE A DONATION to support the cause! If nothing else, spread the word and keep the faith…
Photo: ImageLegacy.com
Michelle & Robert were married in April, and Michelle has already dry-cleaned her wedding gown — which she purchased from us — and donated it back!
Michelle also bought her veil from us, used our recommendations for alterations, and found her photographer through us. We’d like to give Michelle a virtual HIGH-FIVE!
Also because she chose to include her cat in her wedding photos Charlie and Douglas totally approve!
Photo: ImageLegacy.com
In short, we wouldn’t be able to donate as much as we do without the generosity and support of brides like Michelle. These days couples have many options for wedding vendors, and we very much appreciate when our little shop on Broadview is the First Stop. Our beneficiaries thank you, too!
Congratulations, Michelle & Robert! Here’s to many years of happiness together!
Photo: ImageLegacy.com
Photo: ImageLegacy.com
Photo: ImageLegacy.com
Photo: ImageLegacy.com
Photo: Josh Cornell, Renaissance Studios
I just wanted to thank you all for making my wedding dress shopping a fantastic and memorable experience! I always knew that I didn’t want to go the ‘traditional’ route when selecting a gown and when I heard about The Brides’ Project at the bridal show I knew that it would be the right choice for me. Within a few minutes (and with some helpful coaching from my mother and mother-in-law), I had found my dream dress! The staff was very warm and helpful and the whole experience really set the tone for the rest of the wedding planning…lighthearted and stress-free. The best part was reading the beautiful note from the previous bride to wear the dress.
I married my best friend and the love of my life in June and immediately gave the dress back to The Brides’ Project along with the veil. I was so happy to start our new life together with some good karma and I hope the dress finds a new home with a new blushing bride. Best of luck and congrats to all!
- Tamar & Jonathan
How can one not fall in love with a bride like Tamar, who not only purchased her wedding gown from our shop but brought it back after her own wedding to make another bride happy… Tamar, you have a heart of gold! Our best wishes to you and Jonathan!
Photo: Diane Scaman http://www.dianeandmike.ca/
The Brides’ Project is not your average bridal salon, and we are proud to say we have the FUN-kiest brides! Trina heard about us before she got married and told her (now-) husband that she would donate her dress to us after the Big Day… and she did! It’s in our shop, ready to go back out the door and make another bride kick up her heels with excitement. Our “good karma” dresses are our fastest sellers, and with good reason: the dress is rarin’ to go!
Make an appointment, and see if it’s The One for you. Click on any of the thumbnails below to view the pictures larger:
(416) 469-6777
(734) 418-3332