Jessi Claudianos says the expo can ease the price tag of getting married. Photos: Wilson Au Yeung.
A $5000 wedding dress for $200? It’s not a scam! Promise.
The dresses are very real. So are the savings. And the money helps the Australian Red Cross deliver services across the community.
So what’s the catch? There isn’t one!
For the past few weeks, the ACT branch of the Australian Red Cross has been accepting donations of new and secondhand wedding and formal dresses, and at The Australian Red Cross Bridal Expo, brides can browse, try on and purchase from the more than 500 donated dresses.
“Every woman deserves to feel beautiful and have a dress that makes them feel beautiful,” said branch director Jessi Claudianos.
“This is an opportunity to be able to buy a dress of your dreams without the significant cost associated.”
Attendees can browse, try on and purchase from more than 500 donated dresses.
“There’s definitely something for everyone:long-sleeve, short-sleeve, off-the-shoulder, strapless.
“There’s no two that are exactly the same.”
Each of the “phenomenal” dresses has been checked to make sure they’re in good condition and carefully washed.
Ms Claudianos said the expo dresses have been reduced by up to 90 per cent from their initial cost.
While she wouldn’t reveal the full list of what will be on the expo’s racks, she teased that designs by Karen Willis and Rachel Gilbert are among those that are included.
“There’s a whole raft of designer dresses … Some of the dresses are worth over $5000.
“I would say probably 70 per cent of them are brand new, and then we did a call out for donations as well … so there are some that are secondhand.”
More than 500 wedding and formal dressers will be at the expo.
Ms Claudianos knows the struggle of finding the perfect wedding dress firsthand.
“I had my heart set on a $3000 dress, and I just couldn’t afford it,” she said of her own wedding.
“I actually brought my own wedding dress and just retrofitted it to be the way that I wanted … It ended up costing me about $200.”
Ms Claudianos believes an expensive dress is just one of the many costs that can quickly make the wedding bill mount, and that finding a cheaper alternative is key.
“I remember when I was planning for our wedding, we didn’t have a lot of money to spend on the wedding – [but] you feel obligated to pay for the food and the drinks because you want people to have a good time.
“It sometimes comes at a cost to you being able to afford the dress of your dreams, and you know that’s really hard.”
The proceeds from the expo will go toward the Red Cross’s operations.
“We’re there before, during, and after emergencies and disasters,” Ms Claudianos said.
“Whenever we fundraise, it’s to fundraise for all of those initiatives … The important part of what we do is supporting vulnerable cohorts when they need it most.”
The Australian Red Cross Bridal Expo will be held at Hotel Kurrajong Canberra, 8 National Circuit, Barton, on 26 September and 27 September, between 9 am and 6 pm on both days. Entry is free.
