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What's Brewing

Gowns help grant wishes

By SUSAN THURSTON
Published April 1, 2005

There's something about girls and wedding gowns.

Slip one on and suddenly every imperfection disappears. Hope and happiness shine in the mirror. Life is beautiful and will be forever.

For richer or poorer.

In sickness and in health.

That scene played out over and over last week during the Brides Against Breast Cancer's Tour of Gowns at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Hundreds of brides-to-be flocked to the hotel ballroom for their pick of among 1,500 donated dresses. Proceeds went to the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation to grant wishes to patients with terminal breast cancer.

WOMEN FROM across the region came for bargains and a dose of good karma. Surely, a dress bought for charity would get a marriage off to a positive start.

Most of the gowns were donated by dress manufacturers or bridal shops. Some came from brides who wanted to give their dress another moment in the spotlight.

Megan Thomas, 28, drove from St. Petersburg to donate her never-been-worn size 4 dress with tiara and veil. She had been engaged to a man in the military, but things didn't work out.

Three years later, she had found her ideal mate and was shopping for a new gown. She figured her first dress didn't deserve eternity in her closet. Why not give it to another bride to enjoy?

Betrothed of all ages, shapes and sizes combed the racks, taking the top candidates to the mega dressing room in back.

"The only way to describe this is brides in a blender," said Making Memories founder Fran Hansen, surveying the scene with delight.

PADDED, STRAPLESS and lace bras flew as girls shed their street clothes for the dress of a lifetime. "Watch the train!" shrieked one woman. "How does it look?" echoed from every corner.

Cameras clicked as girls jockeyed for space in front of the mirrors. The lucky ones who found their perfect dresses pulled out cell phones to relay their good fortune.

"I think this is it!" beamed Amanda Doyle, 21, of New Port Richey, modeling a beaded halter-top gown with flowing skirt.

"It's gorgeous," replied her future mother-in-law, Lynn Marquis.

Victoria VanDrimmelen, 19, had no time to waste. Her wedding was less than two months away, and she still didn't have a dress.

She had put off shopping because she wanted to support the foundation. She has personal reasons. Her mother, Kathy, has breast cancer.

Diagnosed in 1996, she had a double mastectomy and 19 surgeries in four years. She went through chemo and radiation therapy and lost her hair three times.

Her children were young.

At 45, Kathy is doing well and looks forward to her daughter's May 14 wedding in Plant City to high school sweetheart Derek Griffin.

After trying on eight dresses, Victoria found just the right one, an off-the-shoulder gown with a pearled bodice.

At $299, it was half of what she had budgeted for a dress. More money for the reception and Daytona Beach honeymoon, she cheered.

A win-win all around.

"I can make a wish and it's my wish, too: I get the dress I want at the price I can afford," she said twirling around. "I don't want to take it off."

THE LAST DROP: Times have certainly changed. At a Maroon 5 concert last Friday at the St. Pete Times Forum, fans coaxed the band for an encore by waving their illuminated cell phones and video phones. No lighters in the lot.

Susan Thurston can be reached at 226-3394 or thurston@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 31, 2005, 08:54:10]