Free Dresses for Military Brides

Military brides will get a chance at a free wedding dress on July 11 when the participates in the national Brides Across America event.

The Mount Pleasant, S.C., boutique will give away 30 to 40 designer dresses during the day-long giveaway. This is the third year the shop has participated in the event.

Here are the specifics:

• Brides must call ahead to pre-register for the event;
• Brides or their fiancé must be on active duty in the military, either currently deployed or deployed within the last five years to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Libya or Japan;
• Identification and deployment papers must be presented at the event to qualify;
• Dresses are available on a first-come, first-serve basis the day of the event;
• Read more about the rules on www.bridesacrossamerica.com.

Over its six years, Brides Across America has distributed more than 7,000 dresses ranging in value from $500 to $4,000. It's a national effort that partners with bridal boutiques from Los Angeles to New York.

Bridal House owner Yvonne McCollough said she participates because her parents rushed their wedding as her father was deployed to Vietnam.

“Something like this would have been really helpful for my parents,” McCullough said.

Interest has grown each year since McCullough began partnering with the organization. She relies on gifts from businesses and gown designers to make the giveaway possible.

“We had a line of about 10 women waiting when we got here at 7 a.m. that morning,” said McCullough, whose shop opens at 10 a.m. the day of the giveaway.

Inevitably, some dresses won’t fit or a bride won’t find something that suits their tastes, McCullough said. Bridal House is also planning a storewide sale during the event. Some dresses will be marked down as much as 50 percent, she said.