Thanks to the generosity of a long-time local business – Volle’s Bridal & Boutique – military members and first responders are supported on their wedding day by Brides Across America, a non-profit organization committed to loving one another by gifting weddings and wedding gowns to military & first responders.
“We love thanking our military or first responders with a free wedding dress,” says Susanne Dershaw, who with her husband, Chad, are the owners of Volle’s, a Lake Zurich shop that’s been serving Chicago-area families since 1974.
In 2008 Brides Across America was started to give military or first responder brides a free wedding gown during an “Operation Wedding Gown Event.” Since then, nearly 30,000 wedding dresses have been provided through this program that qualifies brides and assigns them to a local shop in a national network of bridal boutiques. Each year BAA hosts dozens of Operation Wedding Gown giveaway days at participating bridal salons at events held in July (around Independence Day) and November (around Veteran's Day; this is when Volle’s holds its event).
Volle’s participates because it believes that providing a free wedding gown is a great way to thank couples for their service and sacrifices, according to Dershaw.
Heidi Janson founded Brides Across America after being inspired to do something special to express gratitude for the dedicated men and women of the United States Armed Forces. Brides Across America began its work with a small network of salons that donated time and resources to head up the inaugural program. In its first year, 50 gowns were given away to military brides. In 2016, the organization expanded its mission to include first responders that put themselves in harm’s way daily.
Brides Across America has garnered the attention of ABC's Nightly News, People Magazine, HGTV, Steve Harvey and locally, WGN Morning News and Fox 32 Chicago Today. The highest honor, however, was received from the "Joining Forces Community Challenge" at the White House hosted by Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. The event recognized 20 organizations for their contributions to improving the lives of military families. Brides Across America continues to also support wounded warriors, patients living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and post-military employment for veterans.
“For me as a business owner it’s an honor to help those who are helping us,” Dershaw said. “Volle’s Bridal is honored to be a part of Brides Across America. We stand behind BAA in supporting each other and paying tribute to our troops.”
To learn more about the 2024 Operation Wedding Gown, be sure to follow Volle’s on Social Media (@VollesBridal) and visit BridesAcrossAmerica.com. The BAA website has information on who may qualify and how to register. Basically, the wedding gown giveaway is open to a bride who is in the military or is a first responder, or to the fiancé of a military member or first responder. If a bride has a wedding planned in the next 18 months, and she can provide a valid military ID or official letter of service (proof of deployment), she may pre-register on the website and choose a salon (such as Volle’s). Note that there is a $99 tax-deductible donation required when registering for the event. The donation covers administrative costs associated with running the event. Brides Across America is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization.
Qualified brides who pre-register will find a wide variety of gowns donated by designers, salons, and individuals. Each salon has a different number of gowns and sizes available for giveaway.
