Sustainability, affordability, and supporting a good cause? These are probably not words you associate with wedding dresses – but at Brides for a Cause, you can find all three in your wedding dress experience.

With five locations, including Seattle and Tacoma, Brides for a Cause is a nonprofit that supports women-focused organizations by selling donated wedding dresses.

Founder Erin Scharf says, “A lot of brides might have an idea of what a charity store might look like and feel like, and we’re trying to change that mindset.”

When you go to Brides for a Cause, it feels as if you’re walking into a wedding dress store, not a used clothing store.

Brides for a Cause gets their inventory from brides who have donated their dress to a store (I donated my dress there a few years ago!), as well as bridal store overstock or samples. This means that they have a huge selection of dresses – including high-end, designer garments. Hundreds of unique dresses (that have come from all over the country) line the walls, ready to be picked by an upcoming bride.

The selection is wide, and the cost can’t be beat. They “offer high-end wedding dresses at a fraction of the price,” Scharf highlights. Discounts on dresses range from 30-70%.

At their core, their mission “is to distribute funds to a variety of nonprofits that focus on women,” Scharf explains. The profits generated from wedding dress sales go directly to nonprofits focusing on issues such as women’s health, women’s equality, women’s education, and women in need.

In 2023, they supported 45 different nonprofits by giving away $500,000. They’re on track to give away another $500,000 in 2024.

Not only does buying or donating your dress to Brides for a Cause support women-focused nonprofits, you’re also making an environmentally-friendly choice. Whether you are buying or donating, you are rejecting the idea that a wedding dress is a single-use item. If multiple brides wear the same dress, less dresses are produced, and less waste is generated.

And the convenience of buying off-the-rack can’t be overstated. You don’t have to wait for an ordered dress to come in before your wedding, or worry that it won’t fit or you won’t like the style any more.

To donate your dress to Brides for a Cause, simply drop it off at a location during open hours. You can also package it up and ship it to any of their locations.

To shop for a dress, simply make a reservation online or by phone to come into the store. Scharf recommends, “If you don’t find your dress the first trip, always come back,” because they’re constantly getting new inventory.Everything about Brides for a Cause is a win – supporting women-focused nonprofits, spending less money on a wedding dress, and reusing wedding dresses multiple times.

So if you’re in the market for a wedding dress (or know someone who is), be sure to check out Brides for a Cause!