Various media outlets are reporting that Prince William and Kate Middleton could walk down the aisle as soon as March.
Their royal wedding is rumored to have a budget of $40 million.
But in this — the worst recession since the Great Depression — chances are the royal elders won’t be so quick to flash their money and wealth around as they did with Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana’s elaborate 1981 wedding that spared no expense (i.e. – Lady Di’s 25-foot long wedding gown train).
… on a Kool-Aid budget, then a royal wedding, even a royal-ish wedding is simply out of the question.
That was the feeling that Vienna, Va.-based event planner VaLorie Fogle got every time she interacted with brides on a budget since the recession hit. The brides had Cinderella dreams, but a pauper’s pocket book.
The heartbreaking reality was they were going to have to do the running of the brides at Filene’s Basement in order to afford a designer dress, or settle for a knock-off from the David’s Bridal $99 dress sale.
So Miss Fogle… desperately wanting to help others, while waiting for her own knight in shining armor to come along…
VaLorie Fogle, founder & CEO of WinningBride.com |
…had the idea to start an online auction where brides-to-be on a budget could bid on designer gowns for as little as $20 (kind of like eBay, but for wedding dresses).
Et voila! WinningBride.com was born!
Just three months into the launch of her business, and Fogle has already expanded her inventory to include wedding veils, garter belts and…
VaLorie and Markette exchange garter belt tales from weddings past. |
A bride in waiting: all that’s missing is the dress! |
And with this new concept, Fogle hopes that brides can now say, “YES!” to the dress of their dreams… even if it is a Vera Wang!
xoxo,
Markette
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