After looking through many shops and dress options, I heard about The Brides' Project through a friend and decided to check out their website. I loved the idea of a wedding dress having a second grand night, and with all profits going to charity it made it even better! I met with Emily and she was amazing. I had originally selected a few options to try on, but once I started telling her what I liked and didn't like she was able to provide me with options that were more suited to my taste. She ended up bringing a dress that wasn't even on the website yet and I fell in love immediately. It fit me so perfectly that I ended up only needing to get it shortened. Throughout the whole process I kept debating about the dress and put it on hold actually, but in the end I followed my gut and went with the most beautiful dress I tried on ever. Emily was such a rockstar through it all and really listened to me and my vision for the day even when I wasn't sure of what I wanted. She is like a fairy Godmother! I cannot recommend this place enough - one thing to note is that you do need to make an appointment. When I was there the first time, there was even someone from the States who came all the way to this store to find their dream dress (which they did). If you have been thinking of checking this place out, please do! read more

I wish more people knew about this place! My stylist, Samantha, was super patient with me- even after being a walk-in, last appointment of the day. And we went past the closing time! Super thankful for her. They greet you with comfy crocs at the door, take your measurements and hand you an ipad of their website. This can be viewed ahead of time for their stock. You add all dresses you like to the cart, and they pick it out for you. There are at least two changerooms from what I saw, a basement for larger sizes, and the main floor which has smaller waist sizes. Looking at the options, I could barely tell it was a secondhand store!! All their options are either secondhand or unused sample gowns. They have some gems! read more

I love the concept of this not-for-profit shop and it makes total sense to me as wedding dress prices are crazy, especially considering that you only wear it for a few hours! There is also so much waste created by the whole wedding industry/machine, so it's nice to try and find more sustainable options when possible. There are lots of online options for second hand wedding dresses, but it's really nice to be able to try things on in person. Sample sales are another great way to save $$$ on the dress, but being a petite person, most sample sales I came across were size 8-12 and much too big for me (alterations can only do so much). The prices are ridiculously low! Average dresses are around $600 I was told. I did notice a special rack of higher end dresses on the main floor, but the vast majority of the dresses were under $1000. With that in mind, the selection could be hit or miss, it really depends on what types of dresses have been recently donated. I went once and did not find the dress, but I would totally go back in a few months and try my luck again if I can't find something elsewhere. Staff told me that the fall is a good time to visit, as a lot of brides donate their dresses after their summer weddings. The volunteers working here are friendly and pretty hands off, which actually suited me well as I like to try things on in peace. I liked being allowed to just peruse the racks at my leisure. Appointments are a must and it was only me and one other bride there on a Saturday morning. Luckily, she was a different size from me so we were in completely different rooms. There are no formal fitting rooms. You are in one of the rooms full of dresses and can just close the door and try on things there. My only complaint is that there is a mirror but it is not completely full length and there's no platform thing, so it may be hard to see all the details of the dress's hem. I saw a lot of beautiful gowns from big designers I came across in my research like Vera Wang, Maggie Sottero, Mori Lee, Pronovias, Catherine Langlois, Watters etc. Condition of the dresses was mostly okay, but some had some wear and tear or dirt on the bottom, so factor in dry cleaning costs for sure. However, there were some brand new dresses - donated from local bridal boutiques, so if one of them suits you, you could really luck out! Prices and brands are clearly marked. There's also a little room of accessories and I found some good deals there. Lots of wedding shoes for only $25 (designer shoes like the popular Bagdley Mishka jeweled ones were $75, a total steal!), hair accessories, robes (who really wears those white "bride" robes more than once?), and belts. There is also an entire room of veils upstairs. Online booking is easy. They email you with instructions (bring indoor shoes to wear, don't wear makeup, etc.). I recommend checking this place out! I plan to donate my dress here after my wedding. read more

I would give 10 stars for this reason: - booking was so easy. Booked online, got reply within 24 hours. - service was fantastic, cannot ask for more. I like doing this by myself, and we had the whole room to ourselves. The room was filled with wedding dresses!! I can try anything without feeling bad! - location is great. I live in downtown, so this was only 20 minutes street car travel for me. - found my dress! The dress! I love it!!!! - help. I don't remember her name I am so sorry!!! She gave me just the information I need. Seriously. I really appreciated her. Wedding dress can be overwhelming and she understands from her experience. - same sex couple. I asked for lgbt friendly, as I wanted to be comfortable with my partner. It was such a nice experience. I had to tell her that it's bride to bride, and she was totally supportive. Tips. - go with 1 or 2 friends. You need one person to help you with dress, one more for taking all the pictures. - wear something simple so you can change easy. - please wear a pretty bra that can go with your dress - trust me. Bring your shoes to try the dresses Overall, I cannot ask for more. Thank you bridal project! read more

The Brides' Project - Got my dress here - Bridal Near Me - York, Ontario

After searching far and wide, this was the place where I found my dream dress. I was sold on the idea as soon as I had heard about it and was hoping that they would have a treasure for me here. Amazingly, all the money is donated to cancer charities. Initially, I felt bad spending a small fortune on a dress I'd only wear once in my life. I realized I'd need to get one anyway so I'd feel less guilty spending the same amount here than a bridal store because it was for a good cause (I'm always trying to rationalize big purchases). However, the price of most of these dresses wasn't that bad. Many of them were in my budget and average price of dresses I was looking at was $500-$600. Most dresses were in amazing condition and didn't even need that much cleaning. Unfortunately, the one I chose did so be weary, because cleaning costs can start at about $120 and I was told mine was $200 since it was multi-layered. They have a dry cleaning expert they refer people to named Grace in Scarborough. However, if there is a dry cleaner that you know and trust to get the job done you can go to them. The Brides' Project gives you a $10 coupon to use with Grace if you go to her but I'm sure if you went somewhere closer it'll be the same and you'd save time. Your appointment at Brides' Project is only an hour. When you walk in, they gave me a run down of how it works. Bring flip flops! To optimize your time, it's better if you have an idea of what you want so that you can quickly eliminate dresses. I recommend going to a few bridal stores before so that you're aware of all the styles out there. The dresses are sorted by size which is perfect. What's even sweeter is that some of the dresses have messages from the brides before (Thank you Kourtney)! All in all I'd definitely recommend this place. Most of the dresses were altered for the women who wore them before, so I realized that I didn't need to do very much to my dress for it to fit. They also have some accessories and veils. All in all, the reason I can justify buying a dress here compared to David's Bridal is that if I'm going to spend a whackload of money on a dress that I'll only wear once, it lightens my heart a bit to know it's going to charity. So try it out, especially if you're in a pickle. I only had a month before my wedding and this was a God send. So make an appointment, you won't regret it. Thank you Brides' Project! read more

I fortuitously stumbled upon The Brides' Project while randomly surfing. As anyone about to partake on the wedding march knows, attached the word 'bridal' in front of anything and the associated price shoots up exponentially. Then, after spending loads of hard-earned cash on items for one of the most beautiful days of your life, what do you do with all that stuff after? Would your future, still to be conceived daughter, *really* want to wear the same dress that her mama wore ages ago? Would you? The Brides' Project is a socially minded project founded by the owner of the house that the store is located in. They take wedding gowns and accessories that have all been donated by brides and corporate donors, and sell them to budget-minded future brides with all the proceeds going to cancer charities and so forth - that's what it says on their website. The idea appealed to me for several reasons: reasonably priced pre-worn gowns (many of which I can only assume already has work done on them that one would otherwise have to pay a seamstress to add on, like the bustle), the social-hippie aspect of contributing for the betterment of society, and the 'green' part of reclaiming and reusing pre-existing goods. I ended up with a beautiful hair piece for my special day that I discovered had a bonus smattering of pearls after the fact. It was probably about two-thirds of the price I would have paid for it new. Since I was only looking at accessories, I didn't have to book an appointment but I also didn't have a good look around the place or for the selection of gowns. From what I did see though, the selection does deserve a good look-through. While poking around the place, I did see some for around $750ish. The Brides' Project looks to be volunteer run, and everyone I spoke to was very nice. It's only open during three days of the week - Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. read more

I'm not sure if I should cut this place some slack since they are registered as a charity, but I'd rather be honest and say this place was among the more disappointing visits along the wedding-dress quest. After all, for most shoppers, this isn't quite the same as scoring some secondhand jeans at a thrift shop. I set up an appointment without incident and I was excited to see this place; I'd heard through word of mouth that it was friendly and the prices were reasonable...PLUS the price I pay goes toward a good cause, no? The reality was quite disappointing. Not only was the selection of dresses old - many of these were quite dirty, which made the high prices all the more unreasonable. I realize they charge approximately half the original value of used dresses, but by the time you factor in the often VERY outdated styles, the cleaning (which most of these will most certainly need) and alterations (which you will also likely need), you are probably not saving anything, especially considering that you could make a donation to the same charity and get a tax receipt and then RENT a dress for less than what they charge here. I know the people who work here are volunteers (unpaid I assume), but the person supposedly helping me quickly dashed off to catch up on her homework (which she proudly admitted), assuming that I knew how to handle everything on my own, even though I told her it was only the second place I'd been to try on dresses. Staff are friendly but they really can't replace the qualified expertise of the dress fitters you'll find in most boutiques. Good intentions aside, the staff seems defensive of the value of their outdated styles and older dresses, which should really be marked down by another 50%. While there are a few "current" styles heavily promoted on their website, these seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Bottom line: if you want to contribute to a good cause AND save money, you're better off donating directly to a charity of your choice (and receiving a tax receipt) and renting a dress. read more

The Brides' Project was the final of four stores that I visited this past week for my gown hunting adventure with my family (who flew in specifically for the purpose of helping me find the dress I will get married in). I don't think it's fair to write a review on a bridal store based on whether or not it is the location where I will purchase my bridal gown, so I am going to focus on the dresses themselves, the service, the prices, and any other tidbits that may be interesting for brides-to-be (and in some cases, members of the bridal party as well). My hope is that my review will help you make an informed decision about whether or not this store is worth visiting during your own bridal gown adventure. PRO: The store is really quaint. Set in an old home on Broadview Avenue, I didn't even know this place existed before I started my wedding dress research even though I've probably passed it on the streetcar 100+ times. The setting just adds to the overall charm of the project, creaky floors and all. CON: Old and quaint also equals cramped. They ask that you bring a maximum of two additional people with you to help with your decision. I had three that had been shopping with me, so I had to make a cut in order to look around. Don't forget to bring indoor shoes or you will have to wear a pair of borrowed crocs. Socked/bare feet are a no-no. PRO: You really can't beat the prices. At one point I tried on a gown that would have originally cost $3000 in stores. The Brides' Project was asking for $800. If your budget for the dress isn't huge, you'll be pleasantly surprised with how far your money will go for a beautiful gown AND accessories. The store also had a selection of veils, shoes, headpieces, and sashes. CON: You do have to be creative when it comes to alterations and dry cleaning. Some dresses were better cared for then others prior to ending up at The Brides' Project. While some gowns could get away with a simple dry clean, other gowns would need to have smudged and blackened trains shortened back to their original glory. Great for shorter brides, but taller brides might have trouble if their dream dress needs to be shortened any further. PRO: You can wander around the shop and pick dresses to your hearts content! The whole process is basically 100% self-serve, so you don't have to feel bad about trying on a wide variety of styles, shapes, and textures to get an idea of what works best for you. You might end up surprised to see what looks best on your body! The incredibly lovely volunteers popped their head in from time to time to make sure that I was doing well and offered suggestions for alterations, some of which I wouldn't have though of myself. CON: Since the dresses are pre-loved, they have often been altered to fit the previous bride's measurements and height precisely. This meant that after I picked all my favourites from the 4-8 rack, only about 50% of them fit properly (without having to be taken out). So although I am a size 4 or 6, I ended up taking a trip to the 10-12 rack to see if any of the larger sized gowns had actually been taken in to fit a smaller bride. It's not a big deal, it just means you have to have a sharp eye and be willing to try something that may not be size you are used to. Don't forget - size is just a number, and the important thing is how the dress feels and looks. PRO: The money raised goes to various cancer charities. The volunteer that helped us mentioned that they've topped out at $100,000 for the past few years, which is so awesome to hear. The change rooms are sizeable, and there are hundreds of dresses to choose from. Sweet touch - I noticed that some of the gowns had sealed cards attached to them that were labeled "to the bride." The idea of the previous bride writing a note to the next bride warmed my heart like you wouldn't believe. I'm a little jealous of those brides that get to experience what is contained within those envelopes. What a sweet thing to include with a wedding dress donation. tl;dr conclusion: I didn't find "my" dress at The Brides's Project, but many brides will, and at a steal of a price. Keep an open mind and be willing to try anything. And come back at a later date if you don't find your dress because the stock is constantly changing. And even if you don't find your gown, you can still support the project! read more

Sadly - I came here looking for a Qua, which wasn't meant to be as they only had a limited selection of ethnic bridal wear to choose from. So you may need to call them and check just in case and probably give them a good visual as to what exactly you are looking for. They only take a few appointments at a time and they are the house at the corner just past the Church on Broadview on the east side. From what I did see - the selection was decent, however when I was talking to another prospective bride friend - she mentioned that the savings wasn't that great in comparison after you add in the dry cleaning and other incidentals. I do like the idea that all proceeds from the sale do go to cancer research and the staff are amiable enough and they are fairly easy to get a hold off. One more note - you don't get a tax receipt with your dress donation. read more

I would have loved to find a dress here because I'd like the expense of a wedding dress to support the fight against cancer, but sadly was unable to find anything I liked... even remotely. The ladies working there are fantastic, the house definitely is interesting and you're given the freedom to roam and try on anything you see, which is great. While I understand that inventory is constantly in flux and what's available always depends on what's donated, but the selection was quite poor when my friend and I search through sizes 12-18. Overall, the dresses are far more damaged/stained than I thought, and the prices are much higher than I was expecting. Most of the dresses I saw were around $700 which is actually more than the approx $650 dresses I've been looking at in stores that would be made-to-order and brand new. Basically, you would have to be prepared to spend the extra money to get your dress here and pay to repair and clean it. I'd love to provide my support, but it doesn't seem financially practical when my budget is so tight to begin with. I came in thinking I may potentially find a steal of a dress here and support a good cause... and came out thinking the value for money kind of sucks. I should add... there was a girl kind of close to us and it sounded like she was buying or about to buy the dress she had on. It was a satin or charmeuse simple, fitted sheath dress and it fit her like a glove. I don't know how much it was, but it looked amazing (the style as well as the condition). I would recommend trying it out, with caution... maybe if you go in there not expecting much, you may find something by chance. read more

I know some wonderful people who work here. It is such a lovely cause. Get a dress for cheap. Proceeds go to charity. Volunteer run. read more

I just got my dress here today and I could not be happier with the quality or the service. I came in looking for a tea length dress and they didn't have many. Almost all are full length and most are pouffy ball gowns but there are a lot of dresses to choose from. The fitting rooms are big and clean (no need to worry about stepping on a pin here). I really liked the self serve concept as I am a confident shopper and knew what I was looking for. Even though it is mostly self serve, I had a fantastic experience with the staff. A volunteer was available to help with any little thing I needed like zippers and veils etc. I would highly highly recommend this place. The experience is so fun and positive and the prices are so fantastic, you'd be foolish not to at least check it out. PS, my dress in the photos came to $508 with tax and all. It has been well taken care of and is in perfect condition. The quality is so exquisite, it is clearly worth a lot more. read more

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I came across Bride's Project from an article I read. I love the idea of being able to get a dress at a bargain PLUS be able to contribute towards cancer research! Bride's Project was the first place I made an appointment with, but because they only open three days a week it was the second shop I've visited. I am super glad that I came to check out Bride's Project! The volunteers (Tory, Robin and Helen) was super nice and helpful. I love the idea of the volunteers doing a simple meet and greet, and giving you a quick rundown of the space. Then you're assigned to a room, and you pull your own dresses, and puts it on yourself. It's definitely not your typical salon experience, but definitely something I personally prefer. I love that I'm able to look through all the racks according to sizes and pull whatever I want, and try on the dresses leisurely without feeling rushed or pressured for time. The volunteers will politely knock on the door here and there to make sure you're ok or if you need any help. I found some new dresses like Mori Lee, Madison and a used gorgeous full lace gown by La Sposa for phenomenal prices. There are definitely great finds if you enjoy looking through the racks and not feel overwhelmed :p I was glad that I came on a Saturday and found myself torn between two dresses. Luckily there was a last minute cancel on the following morning. And yes, I came here twice in one weekend, BUT I got my wedding gown :D so worth the drive and time! read more

All of the dresses and accessories are donated by brides and proceeds go to cancer research. I just love this concept! Prices are great, everything is under $1000 with most dresses well under. I came here twice, first to find a dress and second for accessories. Both times I didn't have any luck but I was very happy with the experience. They have a great online appointment booking system. When I arrived, I was met with friendly volunteers who quickly explained what to expect. There are a few different rooms with dresses. One rack had used 'higher end' dresses in garment bags. I was looking forward to this rack the most, but the selection was small (~30 dresses) They said to factor in ~ $300 for dry cleaning. The also have some preferred seamstresses for alterations, I ended up going with the seamstress they recommended (Pearl Seto who was great!). I was happy to try on dresses that were already altered for my height (unlike the bridal shops which are always too long), this gave me a more realistic idea of what different styles looked like on me. It was an eye opener. read more

I bought my dress here as I was lucky enough to find the style I wanted in my size. However, it was pure luck that I stumbled across my dress, which was the only dress in the style I wanted in the entire store. As someone mentioned below, the selection tends to be quite dated, and prices are slightly higher than what you may find with used dresses online. However, there is a distinct advantage of trying the dress on in person. The staff there are very friendly for sure. I think going with the mindset of "wouldn't it be really nice if I found something here" is very helpful. Whether your experience there is positive or not depends on the selection when you visit, I think. A word of advice: the accessories, while more reasonably priced than a salon, are still a bit pricier than what you may be able to find online. Things like veil doesn't really need to be tried on, so it might be good to check online as well as the Bride's Project's selection. read more

I had a great experience at The Bride's Project. It's tucked into a house on Broadview, north of Gerrard. There's plenty of street parking around there, which is very convenient. The volunteers that work there are very friendly and helpful, giving you the rundown of how things work when you first come in, and checking in with you throughout your appointment. There's a varied selection of dresses, most tend to be popular cuts and designs, like satiny A-line dresses, lace dresses, chiffon dresses.. the prices seemed to be between $300 to $1000. The rooms are laid out by sizes and you just pick out your dress and try it on right there in the room. I recommend bringing someone with you to help get into the dress and to help get the dress back onto the hanger! Because a lot of the dresses are used, they have been hemmed/altered so you might have difficulty especially if you're taller. Also, some of the used dresses have not been dry cleaned, so you have to factor that into your budget! read more

Be careful! I made the Brides Project my first stop because I really liked the idea of buying a dress and supporting a charity at the same time. However, I really should have a) went to some bridal stores first and/or b) brought someone with me who knows about alterations. The volunteers were very friendly and they obviously enjoy donating their time here. But they put me in the size 14-16 room and I was swimming in the dresses! Since then, I've gone to several shops and I'm fitting into size 8 and 10 dresses. I purchased a dress for $200 because I really liked the style, and while it needed some work, I was assured that the Brides Project only sold dresses that could be repaired. At the same time, the volunteers made it very clear that they aren't seamstresses. When I brought the dress to a seamstress here in Toronto with an excellent reputation, she said that the entire bodice would have to be replaced, and that the skirt needed another lining because this one was a little transparent. I also found out that the original dress most likely cost less than $700. Since visiting other bridal shops, I can now see the difference in quality between a dress like this and something in the $1000 range. I've started over since the cost of repairing and cleaning this dress would likely be more than it would have cost to buy it new! The Brides Project does have some beautiful dresses but choose carefully as they do not issue refunds. They have some items on the racks that probably shouldn't be there. read more

After searching and being stressed with fittings that would be impossible to make- we found a dress that fit like a glove. With only minor beading to fix the dress is sensational and perfect for our occasion!!! I am so happy that not only do I had a dream of a dress, the money is also being donated. It is beyond a win win! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! read more

It was my first time trying on dresses, I am a no fuss bride and I didn't really know what I was looking for. There was quite abit of selection for my size and I had my own room to try them on in. Yes some of the dresses are dated, but theres always a chance you may find somethign you absolutely love. One of the volunteers pulled it for me and asked if I was interested in trying it on, it wouldn't have been one I chosen and I'm SO glad she pulled it and I was open minded. I tried it and it fit me like a glove. It was so perfect for me and on me. I ended up purchasing it! :) The volunteers are so helpful and its always worth a shot to go in, you never know what you will find. Yes some of the dresses have stains on them but its up to you to get it dry cleaned, they told me that they guarenteed all stains would come out. read more

I am shocked that anyone would have a negative thing to say about this place. I had an incredible experience with the Bride's Project. I found several amazing dresses to choose from. I think the low ratings come from people looking for a deal, rather than people who realize how completely self indulgent weddings are and find purchasing an expensive dress you will never wear again a waste. I bought a $3,000.00 for $1,000.00. It needed very little altering and was clean and in perfect condition. I was really struggling with spending so much money on a dress and this place was a perfect fit for me. I was so happy when a friend told me about it. Helen and the remainder of the staff were wonderful. I had two staff members attending to me the day I went, they gave honest opinions like a couple of girlfriends, when I found my dress they were just as excited as I was. I also bought the most incredible veil, with embroidered lace and Helen adjusted it to the perfect length for me. If you are someone looking for a deal and wanting the experience of a bridal shop then perhaps this is not for you. You need to take into context that The Bride's Project is a charity and the staff are volunteers, not a retailer whose goal is sales. It is a relaxed environment where the people are volunteering their time for a good cause. It is going to be a different experience than a bridal shop - but certainly not deserving of the low ratings given by a couple of people here. I would strongly urge everyone to have a look, go with an open mind, and the understanding that it is a charity. You may not find your dress, but if you do, you can feel really good that after spending thousands on yourself for your special day you were able to do something good as well. read more

Fantastic service, the girls were just lovely and helpful- very informative and were always eager to help out. It was my first stop in the wedding dress search and within the alotted 2 hour time frame- I found my dream dress! You can try on as many dresses as you like, good if you go with one or two friends as they can help you get them over your head and do the zip etc. The only thing the price will not include is the dry cleaning and alterations if needed and the girls gave me good advice as to where to get this done. I will certainly recommend this place- what you do is just fantastic and its warms the heart to know it goes towards such a worthy cause. Thank you Brides Project! read more

Great concept, horrible experience. Only 3 people are allowed in the appointment which we were not told when booking. We had 5 people in the appointment so we're fine with having two of us wait downstairs - which they first suggested. However when we came back downstairs they wouldn't let the other 2 people in our party wait downstairs so in -12 degrees asked them to leave the building. Honestly so unbelievable and upsetting. Would never recommend. read more

I tried on some dresses here, and while I didn't find a dress to fall in love with, I was pleased with my experience. It's basically self-service; the volunteer staff puts you in a room with dresses in your size range, and you're free to try on whatever you like. The staff were kind and helpful, and both volunteers on the day I visited had great advice from their own wedding dress shopping experiences. I really liked the no-nonsense vibe of the place, and the ability to browse and try on with no pressure. Of the eight or so dresses I tried on, a couple looked great, but they didn't quite inspire me to pull out my credit card. Since the shop is stocked by donated dresses, it's a selection of popular wedding styles of the past few years. I saw lots of A-line dresses, a few ball-gowns and mermaid styles. Strapless dresses were proliferate and there were a few gowns with thin straps or sleeves. If you do find something that you love here, it is a bargain. A silk sheath gown was selling for $1000, a beautiful chiffon strapless ballgown was $800 and a maggie sottero lace dress was around $1200. All these were in great condition and fit nicely, but none were precisely what I was looking for. There are some very cool short dresses in a back room, which i tried on, but unfortunately they were very unflattering on me. If you're a petite, non-traditional bride, I'd recommend having a look in the short-dresses closet. This is a worthwhile charity, and I'd still love to support it by donating my own dress after my wedding. It's a great idea to make the wedding industry a tiny bit more sustainable and affordable, and to contribute some of the wedding budget towards a good cause. read more

I am a budget bride. I've made a mistake of buying a dress online and didn't work out. The Bride's Project was the first place I visited and so glad that I got to try on dresses before buying them. Like many brides who came here, I really like the idea of buying a dress and the money goes to help others. The appointment making process was straight forward. The location wasn't hard to find either (I googled first). I had my sister and cousin with me. As soon as I arrived, the volunteer guided me to the room with dresses close to my size. I'm a size 00, and there wasn't a big selection for size 00-2. But the first dress I set my eyes on and pulled out of the rack was a size 2 fit and flare dress by Vera Wang White. I tried it on, loved it, knew it was the one. My sis and cousin found 2 more dresses in size 0, even though they fit better, my mind was set on the first dress. It took me less than 20 minutes to find my dress. By the time the volunteer checked on me, I told her that I am ready to pay. Since I still have over 30 minutes remaining, they let my sister try on dresses. My dress was $650 plus tax. Retail value is $1200 and it's a style from 2011/2012. I got it clean by Val in Ajax for $100 (excellent gown cleaner) and still waiting to have my dress altered in August by Pearl Seto, both were recommened by the Bride's Project. To this day I still haven't been to a bridal salon. I don't think I got a super great deal after the cost of alteration and cleaning. But at the end of the day, I got my dress and knowing the money goes to a good cause, I'm very pleased. You do need to look take a close look at the dresses as some are a bit dirty at the bottom side of the dress and have minor tears. The one I picked was clean, but after close inspection, I found tiny rips along the lace border, but can be fixed. Also, this store probably has cats, so some cat hair was stuck to my dress. Thank goodness my cleaner was able to removed it. I can understand why some ladies didn't have a fantastic experience, but mine was great. Just like you would when you were to visit any store. Good luck on your dress shopping. read more

This place is amazing! First of all let me start off by saying I have been dress shopping many time with friends and had zero desire to go dress shopping myself at any places I have been in the past. I have even worked at Davids Bridal and if that doesn't turn you off wedding dress shopping I don't know what else would! This was my first place I went to and I bought my dress. I'm an avid watcher of Say Yes to The Dress and never in a million year would I think I would find my dress at the first place I went to. As soon as I walked in the girls were awesome. They explained everything to us and then showed us to our room which had a bunch of dresses in my size range ready to be tried on. The sizes ranged from 0-8 and 10+ but don't forget that many of them are fitted to another brides body. I'm a bridal dress size 6 but rarely did a size 6 fit me. I tried on a bunch of 8s but didn't find anything I loved so I took a peek into the 10+ room. I found a lot more options (and my dress) in that room. They girls are so helpful and like to see what you have on. Although they are volunteers they are still professionals and j valued they opinion. They dress I fell In love with was a size 12 so there are alterations that need to be done. They give you a name of an alterations person they recommend and a dry cleaner that you can take the dress to and they guarantee it to come out clean or they will return the dress for you. Most of the dresses I saw has a little dirt at the bottom but that was it. Also the prices are insanely cheap. My dress was regularly $1600 and I got it for $500 and it's beautiful. I HIGHLY recommend this place. I've been to bridal stores where they work for commission and they are so rude and don't care about you. These ladies are volunteers and make you feel so special. They also give you their honest opinion. Even if you don't find what your looking for right away they are always getting new dresses. Ps some of the dresses are brand new donated by bridal shops!! read more

I also found this store from surfing the internet and must say that our experience was amazing. From the moment we walked in the door the staff was very attentive. I liked the idea that the dresses were sorted by size in different rooms which made it very easy to look for dresses. There was quite a range of different designs and styles. The prices also varied. We told the staff our price range, but we opted to try on a few outside of our range just because we could. My sister ended up finding a dress that she liked but it was a bit more than what we had budgeted for and we knew we would have to have it dry-cleaned as well. But one of the staff who was assisting us saw the dress that my sister liked and brought in another dress very similar in style to the one that was out of budget. This dress was a brand new dress and in our price range and actually fit my sister better than what we thought was "the dress". We ended up buying this dress for only $400 and my sister looks like a fairy tale princess in it. I would highly recommend this store to anyone looking for a wedding gown. I also agree with the comments that it would be a hit or miss depending on the available selection but this is true for any store that you visit. Thankfully we didn't have to spend a lot of time visiting many stores, but we did have some bad experiences with customer service but The Brides' Project is a place that we will be raving about for awhile. read more

While I didn't end up finding a dress at The Bride's Project, the volunteers were lovely. They were very friendly, not pushy at all, and knew the stock well enough to be able to make good recommendations. I did find that many of the dresses were more dated in style, but I expected this. While I LOVE the idea of donating the money to worthy charities, the prices were not as low as I would have thought they would be (and in many cases, dry cleaning would need to be added to the cost of the dresses that had already been worn). I think I'd pictured this place as also being about making dresses affordable for women since they were donated, which may have been my mistake. Most of the dresses I saw were more expensive than, say, David's Bridal (although of course, I understand that in this case, the money is going to charity). While I'm glad I checked it out, I think it's really a question of luck. Also, if you're looking for a more popular style of dress (like a satin, beaded, strapless ball gown) you'll have more luck than someone looking for something a bit different. Making an appointment was easy, and I'd recommend going with a "if I found something here, how cool would that be?!" attitude. If I wasn't planning to alter my dress to be wearable after my wedding, I would most definitely donate it here! read more

found exactly what i was looking for at this amazing organization. it was the third dress that i tried on! the (volunteer) staff were all amazing and helpful. i have told countless people about this place since it really is a fantastic place to get a dress or even gently used shoes, crinoline, veil, head piece etc. i'll soon be donating my dress back so that another bride can benefit in addition to helping cancer research - it's win-win! read more

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of dresses available at the house! When I first walked in I thought the only selection was what lived on the main floor. In fact, each of the three formal dressing rooms also has racks of gowns...in MY size. It was a very busy shop for sure and the volunteers are always running around putting back the dresses we didn't want, or bringing recommendations to us. I loved that it was a self serve kinda set up too. Although you are at the mercy of the selection (they told me donations come in weekly) there are some great ones if you have the patience to search. I compare it to a Winners lol. You may need to search through, but when you find that gem, it's AMAZING!!! I wouldn't suggest this as a place to START your search, but def once you know what your looking for and are ready to purchase, make an appt with the owner Helen. Because all the dresses are taken home right off the rack I was very aware not to try everything on unless it was a contender. I respect that the projects first priority is to raise money, not be a "yay lets go try on dresses!" Kinda place. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to spread some good karma :-) read more