The Bridal Garden

I have recently come to the awareness that for everything you need there is a place out there that can provide you with it that is also set up to be eco-friendly, socially conscious, and overall beneficial to people and the environment!  What brought me to this realization, you ask?  Ill tell you.  It began with my search for the perfect wedding dress.

My mother recently came to visit from Arizona, and as I am recently engaged, she and I decided to spend some time in Davids Bridal.  Of course, my mother decided the first dress that I tried on was "the one", but being that this is the first and only time I will ever get married, I decided that wasn't a fair assessment.  If I'm going to do this right, I need to try on as many dresses as possible, and then decide at the end what I want.  I'm very glad that I did, because a couple weeks later, my good friend (who loves wedding shopping) sent me a link to The Bridal Garden  http://www.bridalgarden.org/ .  Just as Planet Connections Theater Festivity is New York's Premier Eco friendly and Socially Conscious Theater Festival, The Bridal Garden is New York's only Not-For-Profit bridal boutique, where you can find designer dresses for more than 75% off!  The Bridal Garden is part of the fundraising department for Sheltering Arms Children's Service, which provides education, child care and more for those in need.

First I made an appointment, and then arrived on the 21st with my maid of honor and another good friend.  We arrived on the 9th floor of 54 West 19th street at noon and were greeted by a very lovely woman who directed us to my size.  

Now, the truth is that a lot of these dresses are directly donated by the designer.  Which means that they are in stock sizes (ie size 6).  Some of them are also donated by brides who have only worn them once, and others are given to the Bridal Garden by other wedding dress stores, which need to make room for the new season's dresses.  In a boutique filled with at least 200 dresses, this fact left me with about 12 to try on.  It was kind of a relief, however, since many other places have every single dress in my size, making the process of elimination a little overwhelming.  

Although I haven't found my dress yet, I have decided that no matter where I get my dress from, The Bridal Garden will benefit from my decision.  It just goes to show you that with a little research you can find pretty much anything you are looking for from a place that will give back to society!  

If you have come across a store that gives back, please share your experiences in the comments section below!  Happy Hunting!