Military Brides Receive Free Wedding Gowns | News

If you've ever priced wedding dresses you know some can cost enough to give you cold feet.But at the Wedding Gallery in St. Charles, you can find a special collection being given away to some very special people, namely brides to be who are in the military or marrying someone in the military. "I think its amazing, it think it is really really neat," said Melissa Gilliam of Farmington, who was making her pick without the input of the man she is marrying because he is an Army Captain stationed in Colorado.

"It does my heart good for somebody to make a kind gesture because there are going to be so many times where as a fiancé or future wife he`s going to be gone, and it is just really nice for someone to reach out and say hey we appreciate you, we are willing to help," Gilliam said.The program is called Brides Across America, and brides are coming from all across America to look.Kayce Parker drove to St. Charles from Kansas City, Missouri.
"I was pretty surprised they are giving away free gowns because they are easily a $1000."

But on Wednesday and Thursday this week they are free, to thank the families who keep us free " If you know your fiancé is in a war zone and you worry about them everyday so we just want to make sure that we can at least one portion of their preparation for the wedding has been taken care of, they don`t have to worry about it," said Nagwa Abdelghfour, owner of the Wedding Gallery, on Clark St. in St. Charles.
One woman helping pick out a dress was not a bride, but the mother of the groom to be."I`m going to cry because what our guys do for this country is great and I think it is under appreciated by most people. And it think it is a great way to show our appreciation because of all the freedoms we have and take for granted and our young men are fighting and dying for us," said Tami Bonnell.

Brides Across America is a national program started back in 2007.This is the second year the Wedding Gallery has been part of it, and it is the only participating store in Missouri.

The giveaway continues Thursday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.