The Brides' Project (US)

Welcome 2011...and a whole new TBP!!!

2011-01-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

2011 will be an exciting year for The Brides Project here in Ann Arbor. Due to a wonderful welcome in 2010, we have grown to a point that I am no longer able to make this little project work on my own. I searched for an organization that had the same vision and mission as we do and found The Cancer Support Community of Southeast Michigan. We have partnered with them and are about to re-launch The Brides Project by looking for and securing space (anyone have a great space for us??), collecting more dresses, and looking for support in finding or acquiring the supplies we need to get our shop up and running.

Stay tuned for more news. We are excited and look forward to your continued support. It is that support that has made this partnership possible!!

Monique

The Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show and Origami Favor Boxes

2010-09-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the brides-to-be that visited our table at the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show in Troy today! There was a great turnout, and everyone really enjoyed hearing about TBP. We really appreciate all the support! Remember, even telling just one person about TBP is a great way to get involved--though we surely encourage telling everyone you know! :)

Another way to support TBP is to purchase a handmade origami favor box (or 200). We were handing them out at the show today, and they were very well received. We have lots of great pictures that we'll be posting soon, so check back here at the blog to learn more. If you have any questions about the favor boxes, email Renee at rndean@gmail.com, or visit our Facebook page or the Favors by Renee blog for more information. Each box is handmade with love, and every order is customized to fit the colors and theme of your wedding. Proceeds from the sale of the boxes will go to benefit TBP.

Thanks to all the beautiful brides-to-be that we met today!

Lot's of new dresses....

2010-05-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to the many brides from across the US that have reached out about donating their dresses. I have about 5 enroute from all over the country. I am thrilled at the constant interest in this 'little endeavour' and appreciate all those who contact us...whether to donate or to buy.

I also want to thank Diane from The Perfect Wedding Guide for promoting us and supporting us!!! If we can get enough donations, we have been ask to be the "headliner" at the Perfect Wedding Guides Fall show. This means we can sell our gowns there, which means we'll leave with lot's of $$$ to donate to kids and families touched by cancer. So spread the word...dig up those dresses...reach out to local bridal salons and tell them about us...help us spread the word so we can make this event and make a difference in the lives of many!!!

Pronovias Wedding Dress Oceano- up for grabs

2010-03-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

This dress speaks for itself!! It is a size 10 (street size 6ish) in excellent used condition. All the profits from the sale of this dress will go to support children and families touched by Cancer. Have the dress of your dreams and help a family in need...what could be better than that!!!

Seeking Dresses.....Send 'em on in!!!

2010-02-20T14:58:00.001-08:00

We have (with pretty much no advertising at this point) been getting noticed out there!! My inbox is full with brides seeking dresses from us. That said....we are in need of donations...both from individual brides as well as from Bridal Salons that would like to support our cause. Please pass on what we do to friends, family, co-workers, strangers on the street!!! Our demand has exceeded our supply and we would like to make all our hopeful brides smile!!!

Thanks for your support!!!

Good Karma up for grabs....

2010-01-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

I have been collecting a few dresses over the last few months and have decided it is time to offer them up for sale. I'll be posting some pictures here and will be posting on Craigslist as well (search for Charity Wedding Dress and you'll find us...)

If you are interested in learning more about our stock, email us and we can send pictures to see if we have a match in stock for you. Remember 100% of the profits go to kids with cancer so you can get a great dress at a great price for a great cause!!!!

Oh I have a 2007 Pronovias Oceano gown enroute from Florida..expecting it to arrive January 11th...it is a gem...email us if you are interested...this one won't last long!!

Thanks to an amazing bride in South Florida...and Brenda...

2009-12-16T09:18:00.000-08:00

What makes The Brides Project such an amazing project to have the privilege of being a part of is all the amazing people you get to meet, and all the wonderful people that jump in and lend a hand.

This week a lovely bride from South Florida contacted us about donating her stunning wedding dress. Being that we run operations out of Ann Arbor, Mi, this made getting that dress a challenge. In comes Brenda Remus a dear friend living in South Florida who not only offers to pick up the dress and ship it to me, but also takes the bride out for breakfast as a thank you!! WOW!!

My thanks go out to the bride for her donation of a fabulous dress...which will be posted for sale soon....and to Brenda for truly going the extra mile!!! We could not make The Brides Project work without people like either of you!!!

A sweet little package from San Fran....

2009-11-30T10:25:00.001-08:00

I was out picking up a wonderful dress today (thanks Lisa), and came home to a package on my front step. This package contained a simply lovely dress from a bride in San Fran. What makes this package even more special is that the bride had contacted me before her wedding day to say that after her wedding she wanted to donate the dress. She was able to share her plans with her family and friends at her wedding ...we made up a little sign for her to post at her reception...and then here is the dress today. Thanks Liana for your commitment to share your dress with us (and for cleaning and shipping it to us), and for hopefully starting a trend of brides planning to donate before the big day even is upon them. Here is a sneak peak of this beauty...and we have several precious dresses all donated by amazing brides! Thanks to all the brides that have already shared their dresses with us. And to those that are about to come. :)

The Brides' Project, Toronto, Canada

2009-11-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I travelled to Toronto to visit the original Brides' Project. It was truly inspiring to see how busy they were. In the short time I was there I saw several brides trying on dresses, and a few find the one of their dreams. I also saw two dresses come in for donation and one bride called her order in via phone. I am excited about all this happening as we grow here in the US. Thanks to all those who have donated dresses already, and to those that keep my inbox buzzing daily with offers to donate. Michigan has been great this past week with inquires all across the state. I'll be doing some driving to get these pre-loved dresses to join our collection, but it is worth it!

If you found this site and were hoping to buy a dress, check back in the new year. We are almost where we need to be to start selling our amazing dresses. They will all be available online (to be shipped anywhere) as well as available in Ann Arbor, for those who are local.

If you have a dress to donate, please contact us...if not, please email us and ask how you can help. We have many needs. We are 100% volunteer based so all the help and support we can get is truly appreciated.

Thanks!!

How can you help?

2009-10-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

The dresses have been coming in and we are thrilled by the support this project has been receiving. I have reached out to some Bridal Boutiques in major cities to see if they would be willing to be drop-off sites for us. In the mean time, if you find out about us and want to send your dress, please do. Just email us and we'll share the best way to mail it to us safely and cost effectively.

Keep spreading the word...here are some ways you can help support our efforts:

Talk to your local bridal boutiques and get them on board with our project-either in the form of donations of dresses or offering to be a drop-off site.
Talk to your friends and your friends friends and share the idea of donating wedding dresses. So many people write me saying they were just looking for an option for their dress. We need everyone to know we are an option!!
Spread the word in other ways...want to get involved in your local community? Email us and we'll figure out a way for you to engage your area in this project.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement!! We could not do it without you!

Monique

A National Appeal....

2009-10-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled by the number of emails and calls we have been getting from across the country. Dresses are enroute from California and Florida and Boston as I type. If you have heard about this Project and are not local to our office, fear not...you can get your dress and/or donation to us. Just contact us and we'll give you the scoop on the best way to send. Keep them coming-the more dresses we get, the more families we can help!!!

If you are a bridal boutique and you found your way to us...contact us. We have many opportunities for businesses to support this great cause. Email us at tbpa2@thebridesproject.com to learn more.

Thanks for all your support!!

Thanks Troy!!!

2009-10-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the amazing brides and friends and family of the brides that we met today at the Brides-to-be Show in Troy, MI. You gave us a VERY warm reception. Many of you asked how you could donate to the cause. If you do not have a dress to donate but want to donate to the Brides Project you certainly can mail a cheque to us or email us and we can work via PayPal, whatever is best for you. We are 100% volunteer run so you can rest assured that your donation is going directly to the cause!!!

Donations can be sent to:

The Brides Project (US)

1417 W. Liberty Street,

Ann Arbor, MI

48103

If you want to learn more about how you can donate, just email us at tbpa2@thebridesproject.com.

Thanks again to all those we met today and for all the kind words of support you gave us!!!

Things are taking off.....

2009-10-23T09:55:00.001-07:00

We have been flooded (okay-that is a little play on this rain we are having today) with calls and emails about donations. Keep them coming-we need all we can get!! We also have been contacted by local businesses wanting to support our cause. I wanted to offer out a special thanks to TeaCup Wedding (www.teacupwedding.com) for offering to be a donation site and for posting us on their web site. We were blown away by their kindness and support and look forward to a great relationship with them!!!

If any of you know of other businesses that would like what we do, please pass our info on to them on our behalf. We could also use some corporate sponsors...so if any of you have friends in the bridal boutique biz..... :).

We are getting ready for our first show this Sunday. Thanks for Brides-to-be Shows for offering us some space at a reduced rate to make it work for us. I'll be sure to post a note after that show and let you all know how it went.

Last but not least...thanks...many, many thanks to all the brides that have reached out and offered up their dresses. To those I have met, and those I have yet to meet, and to those that are not even married yet and have promised their gown to the cause...to all of you...we here at The Brides' Project say a great big thanks. We truly could not do any of this without all of you!!

Monique

Social Networking does just that....

2009-10-20T19:26:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to those of you who saw the post on craigslist or heard about us and posted a note on facebook. We have had a few emails based on those posts. What a great way to spread the word. We accept dresses from all over the US so feel free to spread the word far and wide!!

Those who want to add us to their facebook page, please do so...we are under The Brides Project (US). We are on a mission to get the word out now so we can build up this project.

Thanks to all of you who have already been spreading the word!! We appreciate it!!

A Warm Welcome....

2009-10-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Helen and her wonderful volunteers at The Brides' Project in Canada for their warm welcome. You can read it at http://www.thebridesproject.com/archives/1636. Many thanks also to all of you who saw the request for dresses on Craigslist and contacted me. It is so great to meet you all and hear your stories. We are off and running now. Please continue to spread the word.

Thanks!!!

Monique

Now that's "good karma"!

2009-10-02T18:31:00.001-07:00

Previously worn dresses are called "Good Karma" dresses at The Brides' Project. Right now we are seeking as many "Good Karma" dresses as we can get our hands on. Brides seek out TBP for these dresses. They are environmentally responsible, financially responsible, and with all the proceeds going to families touched by cancer, heck, they are socially responsible too. So if you have a dress tucked away and you are ready to part with it and have it make a difference in many lives, give us a call. You can also help by passing the word around. Mention it at work, social outings, church, the gym...anywhere...please help us get the word out so we can help as many kids with cancer as we can!

For more information, email thebridesprojectannarbor@gmail.com or call 734-418-3332.

Thanks!!!

SPI {be} RED

2009-09-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

...okay, so that is my clever way of saying "BE INSPIRED"...because that is what I was. I first learned about The Brides Project after seeing it on the CBC ( see link below ) and that was it. The next day I was emailing Helen and asking how I could bring this AMAZING endeavour to the US. So here I am...

I set up this blog to help me with the donation process. In order to have $$$ to donate to cancer, I need to have dresses for brides to come on in and fall in love with. This is where you come in. Whether you are an individual with a dress and wants to donate, or an individual who has ALOT of friends with dresses to donate, or a business that wants to help...whatever your situation, I NEED you to spread the word.

Our Needs:

Um, well dresses
Veils
Shoes
other accesories
Hangers
Hanging racks
Garment bags

....and TIME...

If you are in and around the Ann Arbor area and want to volunteer for this great project...email me @ thebridesprojectannarbor@gmail.com .

Not local? No worries...you can help by spreading the word.

Thanks for checking us out!! If you have any questions at all...contact us at the email or phone number listed. :)

Monique
The Brides' Project
Ann Arbor
734-418-3332

CBC Video...the one that started this journey...http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/special_feature/wedding_bills/the_brides_project.html

AND last but not least...MANY, MANY thanks to Tara McMullen (http://www.taramcmullen.com/) for the use of her fabulous photo (see above). This picture inspires me everytime I look at it.