Your wedding day should be one of the happiest days of your life, but unfortunately for many brides around the world, it’s memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Each year, 12 million girls around the world are married before they even reach the age of 18 – that’s one child marriage every two seconds. If nothing is done to tackle this issue, then experts predict the global number of women married as children will rise to a shiver-inducing 1.2 billion by 2050.
Thankfully, entrepreneur Chantal Khoueiry, has come up with a brilliant way to help these girls, the planet and brides-to-be – all at the same time.
Launched in 2016, Brides Do Good offers brides in the UK the opportunity to buy gorgeous pre-loved, sample or even brand new, never worn gowns at a fraction of the RRP. Working with 61 leading wedding dress designers, including Vera Wang, Vivienne Westwood, Caroline Castigliano and Galia Lahav, sizes range from 4-30 with prices slashed by up to 70%.
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Buying a wedding dress is likely to be one of the priciest clothing purchases you ever make, and with up to two thirds of each sale being invested into charity programmes, it could be the biggest charitable donation you ever make too.
Each charity Brides Do Good works with focuses on ensuring safe access to quality education for vulnerable children, as well as providing the tools and training they need to safeguard their future.
And, by giving designers and retailers the chance to be more sustainable by selling off their gowns and excess stock to a good cause, Brides Do Good puts a stop to the never ending cycle of consumption too.
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Chantal explains, ‘A few years ago, my friends and I were discussing wedding gowns. Everyone had spent thousands of pounds on their dream wedding dress but only wore it once, and now it was sitting in a cupboard collecting dust somewhere.’
‘I started thinking about the millions of beautiful wedding gowns that were boxed up in storage, when they could be enjoyed by another bride. My mind then went to the millions of girls that are forced into early marriage and a life without education each year – and inspiration struck!’
‘Fast forward to now, and Brides do Good offers brides-to-be a more ethical way to wed, by connecting the power of wedding dress shopping with the needs of these disadvantaged young girls. We are a movement: by women for girls’
Having just wrapped up a hugely successful pop-up at Bicester Village Designer Outlet, Brides Do Good are set to announce more dates soon. Sign up to their mailing list at bridesdogood.com to book your appointment as soon as they become available. Or, in the meantime browse their beautiful range of dresses online.
Shopping that changes lives – what could be better?
