SEABROOK, N.H. — After 25 years in the bridal industry, Heidi Janson knows wedding gowns. She knows what they cost, how long it takes to get one and how overwhelming getting one can be when time and money aren't in ready supply.
The goal of this Seabrook businesswoman and North Andover resident is simple, she said. She just wants to make sure that every bride has the chance to have a special dress on the day she gets married, no matter the time or monetary shortcomings, or what Uncle Sam's demands are.
So, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Janson will give away wedding gowns to military brides. It's a way to support these women in a meaningful way, she said, a way of giving something back to those who give so much to this country.
"For brides in the military or who have fiances about to be deployed, finding a wedding dress is hard. They don't have a lot of time or money," Janson said. "The usual order time for a gown is six to eight months. They can't do that. Some of them have to get married very quickly between deployments."
The daughter of a retailer, Janson has opened several salons throughout her career in places like Washington, D.C., Rhode Island and even Vera Wang's Boston bridal salon. With her latest venture, the Bridal Stock Exchange in Seabrook, about to open, Janson decided do something for the military brides. She's finding at least 50 beautiful dresses to give to women about to tie the knot.
"I have a network of stores I work with," Janson said. "I called and said 'Take out your stuff and give it a good look and send one (a gown) over.' They all have a lot of stuff. They were all receptive. Most of the gowns are overstock items. The stores wanted to do something nice for the military."
Janson's amassed a cache of 50 beautiful gowns worth from $1,000 to $3,000 each that will be available to miliary brides free of charge if they qualify. Brides must be engaged and on active duty themselves or have a fiance on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. All military brides must provide official identification or copies of deployment papers or orders. Brides do not have to live in this area.
The gown give-away will run from 4 to 8 p.m., said Janson, who will be on hand to help brides find the right gown. A seamstress will be there to advise brides on what can be done with the gowns in case they aren't exactly right, Janson said, because a lot can be done to gowns. They can be altered or even redesigned into the perfect dress, she said. Although alterations aren't free or inexpensive, Janson said, they cost considerably less than buying any of the gowns, which are all recent styles with beautiful lace, beading and fabrics.
Dresses range in size from 4 to 22, and will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis, Janson said. But if more than 50 brides appear, she said she'll find a gown for every qualified military bride.
"I've already heard from brides who've heard about the event," Janson said. "One called whose fiance is going to be deployed in August for the third time."
A graduate of the Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in business retail management, this is not Janson's only charitable project. Her company, The Bridesmaid Party, partners with HopeCraft Inc. and Rubia, nonprofit organizations in Africa and Afghanistan.
Through the Bridesmaid Party, Janson collects donated gowns and sends them to the two women-based organizations. The gowns are then taken apart and reworked by the women in Africa and Afghanistan and made into things like pillows, shawls and other items, and sold.
Bridal gown give-away
What: Free Wedding Gowns for Military Brides
When: Tuesday and Wednesday, 4 to 8 p.m.
Where: The Bridal Stock Exchange, 255 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, N.H., across from Home Depot.
How: Brides must be in the military or the fiancees of those on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. Proof of status is required.
Contact: The Bridal Stock Exchange, 617-877-6396 or info@bridalstockexchange.com, click menu item, Events.
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