Spring Hill Goodwill Store Draws Crowd To Wedding Dress Extravaganza

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But after arriving at the Spring Hill Goodwill Superstore early Saturday morning, she said she was overwhelmed by the choices of beautiful gowns available to her for less than $400. And following three hours of looking and trying on various dresses, she found herself undecided between two.

Felicia McCaffrey doesn't consider herself much of a shopper, so when searching for a wedding dress, she said she didn't know what to expect.

But after arriving at the Spring Hill Goodwill Superstore early Saturday morning, she said she was overwhelmed by the choices of beautiful gowns available to her for less than $400. And following three hours of looking and trying on various cheap wedding dresses, she found herself undecided between two.

It took some consulting with her wedding entourage, which included her childhood friend, mother and soon-to-be mother-in-law, but McCaffrey finally smiled and chose one dress that she said made her feel the most beautiful.

After making her choice, a group of Goodwill employees stood around her clapping after having watched and helped ...
... her try on each dress to see what she liked.

"The dress wasn't' really something that I wanted to spend a ton of money on," McCaffrey said. "Plus, I was overwhelmed. I didn't know what I liked or didn't like, but this is our first day going out looking at dresses and we found it."

McCaffrey was one of roughly 125 shoppers who swarmed to the Goodwill store for when the doors opened at 6 a.m. Saturday for the 2012 Wedding Gala — the first of its kind held in the Hernando County store.

Name-brand dresses that typically sell for thousands of dollars were donated to the store, which sold them for between $100 and $395. All proceeds from the event go to the store's programs for people with disabilities.

Chris Ward, a marketing manager for Goodwill, said some shoppers began camping outside the store at 10 p.m. Friday and said there was a line that stretched far from the store by the time the doors opened at 6 a.m.

Michael Ann Harvey, vice president of Goodwill's marketing, added that a few future grooms were present at the event to — some of whom were helping shop while others were fast-asleep in the store while their significant others tried on dresses.

"We wanted to also create a party-like atmosphere for all the brides and their families coming in," Ward said. "There was refreshments available and music playing.

"This is probably one of the best events that Goodwill does because this allows for brides to be able to select some beautiful name-brand gowns that they wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. And the proceeds in turn help our store programs, so everybody wins."

McCaffrey's mother, Melissa, said she believed the group did very well for their first-time out shopping for dresses. And while she was happy her daughter found one she loved, Melissa fought back tears after seeing her in the dress.

"I'm sad and happy. This just make me realize that she's really getting married and seeing her in front of the mirror — it just hit home," Melissa said.

Meanwhile, it's not too late for those who want an opportunity to find a dress for less than $400. The next Wedding Gala event will be at the Oldsmar Goodwill store, on June 23, located at 3929 Tampa Road.
Resource: http://www.mallwedding.com/