IT’S TIME TO SAY ‘I DO’ TO SUSTAINABLE WEDDING GOWNS
Social enterprise offers brides a more ethical way to wed, by connecting the power of designer wedding dress shopping with eradicating child marriage.
Each year, 12 million girls around the world are married before they reach the age of 18. Nearly one every two seconds. If there is no reduction, the global number of women married as children will reach 1.2 billion by 2050.
In a bid to tackle this global issue, unique social enterprise, Brides Do Good, is encouraging women from all over the UK to say ‘I do’ to sustainable wedding dress shopping – and to harness the power of the bridal industry to support charity programmes that empower girls, educate communities and end child marriage.
Founded by Chantal Khoueiry in 2016, Brides do Good offers brides-to-be an opportunity to purchase the world’s most beautiful pre-loved, and sample designer wedding gowns – as well as new, never worn gowns from the current season. Brides can choose from 61 leading international wedding gown designers, including Vera Wang, Galia Lahav, Vivienne Westwood, Caroline Castigliano, and Pronovias – with gowns ranging from sizes 4-30, and all at affordable prices, with up to 70% off RRP.
Up to two thirds of funds raised from Brides Do Good sales are invested in charity programmes that empower young girls and educate communities – helping to address the global challenge of eradicating child marriage by 2030 (one of the United Nations’ long-term sustainable goals.) These programmes focus on ensuring safe access to quality education for vulnerable children, and providing the tools and training needed to safeguard an independent future for them – including the dangers of child marriage.
Partnering with well-known bridal brands and designers from 13 countries, as well as real brides, to curate a unique and high-end collection for customers, Brides do Good offers forward thinking brides the opportunity to purchase their dream dress, with the power to do good, at a price they can afford.
Not only does the Brides do Good model benefit modern brides looking for a sustainable solution for their cherished wedding dress, but it also offers ethically-minded bridal designers and retailers a solution to combat the cycle of consumption by selling their sample gowns and excess stock, with a portion of the sale funding charity projects which empower and protect young girls.
Coinciding with the beginning of the peak wedding season in the UK, Brides do Good will be opening a new boutique pop-up at luxury shopping destination, Bicester Village, from 29th April until 28th May.
Bursting with exclusive bridal gown collections, the Brides do Good pop-up will offer luxurious hospitality and the finest services for brides-to-be who are shopping for their big day at Bicester Village. As well as showcasing stunning collections from the most-coveted bridal designers, Brides Do Good are also calling on previous brides to bring along their pre-loved dresses so that they can go on to be sold and re-worn.
Brides do Good’s expert service; retail offer and unique philanthropic story will culminate in an overwhelmingly positive experience for the brides and reflects well on the brands positioned within the store.
Chantal Khoueiry, Founder of Brides Do Good, says:
“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.
We are excited to be returning to Bicester Village again this year and look forward to showcasing our latest array of dresses, from a mixture of coveted luxury brands and designers. The event is a fantastic opportunity to not only help brides-to-be to find their dream gown, but also to learn more about the life-changing work that we are carrying out around the world.”
Desirée Bollier, Chair and Global Chief Merchant of the Bicester Village Shopping Collection, says:
“We are delighted to welcome Brides do Good back to Bicester Village for a third year. Their movement has one simple proposition: wedding dresses as a force for good. It is unthinkable that today over 12 million girls are forced into early marriage. Putting a stop to this requires significant change.
Brides do Good is mobilising the power of the sustainable wedding industry and ethically minded women to ensure that every child has a basic right to an education and a safe, happy childhood. We, at The Bicester Village Shopping Collection, are delighted to partner with Brides do Good to drive positive change for so many young girls across the world.”
Brides-to-be can book an appointment at the Bicester Village Boutique via the Brides do Good website.
