The wedding dress is a big part of every wedding. But after the Big Day, it may be doomed to a life inside of a box, waiting for a future daughter to wear it down the aisle. Or worse, never to be worn again.
But one Washington, D.C. woman decided her dress was too beautiful to condemn to a life in hiding. So she's giving it away.
HuffPost Weddings spoke to the generous bride -- who wishes to remain anonymous -- and she told us that, after tying the knot two weeks ago, she felt so surrounded with love that she decided the best way to repay her family and friends for such a "hospitable, generous, and warm" wedding was to pay it forward to another bride.
The woman is looking for a bride who is unable to afford a wedding, a groom looking to surprise his bride with a dress they wouldn't have been able to afford, or a couple who had to elope or have a courthouse wedding and is now looking to have a more formal affair. "Basically, I'm hoping to find someone who really loves the dress and whose wedding experience will be truly transformed by having it," she told Huffington Post Weddings in an email.
The dress, which originally cost $800, was purchased from the family-owned Cocoon Silk in Portland, Ore. via Etsy. The shop uses Cambodian silk to create all of their own designs, and even did some alterations for free. The dress roughly fits a size 4.
"To know that this dress will bring someone else joy on their special celebration is an incredible blessing. It makes my own wedding feel that much more special, to know that we were able to use it for some greater good," she said of her decision to give away the dress.
HuffPost Weddings is helping this generous bride find her perfect match. If you or someone you know needs a wedding dress and can't afford one, send your story and why you love the dress to weddings@huffingtonpost.com by Thursday Oct. 4. The winner will be announced Friday Oct. 5.
Click though the slideshow below to see photos of the dress.
