Woman gives away wedding dress for free to other brides on a budget in a beautiful gesture of sisterhood

Most brides love to preserve their wedding dresses forever. The dress is never really worn again unless they give it to their child or a grandchild. It is deemed too holy to touch. The idea of giving it away never occurs because in no one's "dream wedding," a bride is supposed to wear a second-hand dress unless it's given to them by their family. The reality behind wedding dresses is they are expensive. Thankfully, this woman from Coventry empathizes and knows that a dream wedding is made from moments and not with your dress. Gemma Button, from Tile Hill, married on April 14 and said she would rather the gown go to someone who will wear it, according to Coventry Live. 

Button decides to be very practical with her wedding dress. She has given away her wedding gown for free to other newlyweds who are on a tight budget. Button posted her offer on Spotted Coventry City's Facebook page, which received numerous messages ranging from good wishes to a genuine interest in wearing the dress. "I didn't want the dress to sit in my wardrobe collecting dust. I know a lot of people are struggling at the moment to be able to get themselves a nice dress that doesn't cost the earth, so I'd rather it go to someone who will utilize it," she said. "It has been quite overwhelming to see how nice people have been online, which has been crazy and I never expected it to go anywhere like it has." The mother of six married her partner Thomas at Cheylesmore Manor. She brought her own dress from Facebook for £90 ($112), which was unworn from a bride whose wedding got canceled. 

"The dress was nicely fitted which was ivory in color, had a short train, gemstones, a corset back and little ruffles, which I thought was beautiful. I was lucky to get mine at a very good price and if you look around, you can find nice dresses that don't cost a lot and there are some lovely people out there that are willing to donate," she added. She also talked about how the cost-of-living crisis impacted her wedding, but with her family's assistance, Button had her dream wedding. "There was a point where we thought we are going to have to cancel the wedding, but my husband's family paid for the reception and the DJ, plus I had help from my cousin with the flowers. Everyone pulled together to make sure the wedding day happened for us," Button shared.

Button managed to find someone online on April 24 to give her a wedding gown. She admitted that giving away the dress and deciding who to offer it to wasn't easy. "I had so many people message me and some messaged me privately but didn't get back to me. This one lady collected it yesterday who wanted it for her sister's wedding day. She sent me a photo of her sister trying the dress on, and as far as I'm aware, she loves it and will be wearing it for her big day," she expressed. Button was praised for this step of hers. "That is such a generous offer. And you looked radiant," wrote @Sandra Martin. "This is absolutely precious of you to do. Please make sure it goes to a genuine person," commented @Kirsty KD. "What a beautiful gift to someone. This is how the world should be," complimented @Gemma Lee. 

It wasn't the only instance of the most generous wedding gift to a bride. A woman from South Africa lent her wedding dress to a complete stranger who wanted it for her dream wedding. The dress fit perfectly well on Simone Crouch and actually made her feel good. 

In another case, bride Gwendolyn Stulgis set out on a mission to make gown shopping less stressful for future brides. Allure Bridals' champagne-colored wedding gown had beautiful sheer long sleeves and gorgeous beading and lace enhancing all the right places. This fantasy gown cost a whopping $3,000. Stulgis looked stunning on her wedding day, so it was money well spent. After the wedding, she realized the gown would be useless to her—or anyone else—if she kept it. She decided to give the dress a second chance by donating it to another bride who could wear it on her wedding day. "I want someone else to feel the way I did on my wedding day—to look beautiful," she explained. "I want the person to feel like they are worth something. I want them to get the dress of their dreams without worrying about buying one. A wedding dress shouldn't just be kept in a closet."