On April 18th, Memphis will host the first Wedding Dress Ball in the U.S. Known and held overseas in the United Kingdom, the trademarked event is a party where, simply put, women get an excuse to wear their wedding dress again.
“All of the fun, great food, dancing; none of the pressure,” says Brittney Andres-Rossi of Over Easy Events. When describing the origin of the idea before finding anything of its kind, she explained, “I was attending a friend’s wedding admiring her wedding dress with a table of ladies – the details, the buttons. We then talked about our own wedding dresses, continuing on for almost an hour. If we talked that long about them, I thought, ‘Why not wear them again?’”
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With the Wedding Dress Ball, attendees can revive that feeling of grandeur in a dramatic gown, whether it’s the dress from that wedding day, their dream wedding dress, a creatively altered wedding dress, a ball gown, or a bridesmaid’s dress.
When Brittney sought a venue for an event like this, she immediately thought of Propcellar Vintage Rentals and the open warehouse space. “It has that certain modern feel that I wanted, and I couldn’t imagine [the party] anywhere else,” says Brittney. Propcellar owner Karlee Hickman recently renovated the space for storing her vintage props but also designed it to host special events.
Event sponsor Maggie Louise Bridal Boutique will be assisting those in the category of attending with their “dream wedding dress.” Owner Molly Farrell is hosting trunk shows and sample sales leading up to the event. The boutique also carries bridal accessories like jewelry, headpieces, and sashes to help revamp one’s wedding dress look or create a look they didn’t have a chance to wear before.
Overall, the event is a reason to celebrate something – being married, single, or divorced. “Someone recently divorced said they are coming to celebrate their freedom,” says Brittney smiling with admiration. Plus, the event raises money for charity. This year, the event will benefit St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen which serves meals to the poor and homeless in downtown Memphis. It is the oldest continuously operating soup kitchen in the country.
Other vendors and partners include Everbloom Designs and CFY Catering. Kristin Wolter-Canfield of Everbloom Designs will be providing the floral designs. CFY Catering will serve hors d’oeuvres and colorless cocktails to avoid wedding dress stains. Event activities include mad-lib vow renewals, a “wedding party pose” photo booth, and hand-lettered anniversary henna tattoos by Baltic Studios Calligraphy.
Limited tickets are on sale now. Purchase them at www.weddingdressball.org or www.weddingdressball.eventbrite.com.
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Karlee, Brittney, and Molly wear the dresses from their wedding day. Shoot location: Propcellar. All photos by Sophorn Kuoy.