Op shop inherits hundreds of new wedding gowns, creating a bargain bridal bonanza for shoppers
The shop-front mannequin at the ‘Wello Op Shop’ looks incongruously overdressed.
Gazing cooly into the middle distance, she models a pristine wedding gown confected with layers of ivory tulle, silver beading and delicate lace — the kind you’d expect to find in a Sydney or Melbourne boutique.
Except it’s in Wellington, in central west NSW, flanked by preloved soft toys and a flickering sign that says “open”.
“A lot of our dresses are the best quality,” shop assistant Angela Skordalis says.
“Most of them are brand-new, but for a much better price.”
Once inside, the scale of what Ms Skordalis describes sinks in.
Rack after rack groans under the weight of kilos of silk, satin and taffeta in antique white, ivory, off-white, cream and mushroom.
“As soon as [shoppers] look at the wedding dresses, they’re just flabbergasted,” Ms Skordalis says.
“They’re like, ‘Oh my God, there’s so many!'”
Dresses part of the deal
About 18 months ago, Dubbo-based homelessness service Orana Support was looking for an opportunity shop site.
When a shop in Wellington came up for sale, the charity’s chief executive Tina Reynolds was pounced.
The building once housed the town’s formal wear shop and the bricks and mortar purchase came with a catch — the dresses were part of the deal.
“We kind of inherited the dresses,” Ms Reynolds said.
“But the value is there as we’ve had a lot of young kids who can’t afford formal dresses and people who can’t afford to spend thousands on a wedding dress — it’s made a big difference.”
During formal season last year, Wello Op Shop hosted fitting evenings for kids whose names had been put forward by several schools.
Ms Reynolds said the service went “all out” to make the occasion a special affair.
“We put out little cheese platters and nibblies for them as they tried things on, and if there were really vulnerable kids that couldn’t afford it, we donated their dresses to them,” she said.
She admits the sheer number of dresses dwarfs the number of brides-to-be in central west NSW and says she’s open to negotiations to clear a bit of space.
Especially if it helps someone to realize a dream.
“Most of our wedding dresses are only $250 and they are brand-new,” Ms Reynolds said.
“But if a person comes in [who is] under financial pressure, I’m more than happy to discuss reducing the price of the dress to make their day a bit more special.”
Dignity of choice
Orana Support provides accommodation and support to people facing homelessness through domestic or family violence.
Clients have often fledged situations with only the clothes on their back.
Ms Reynolds said access to an op shop meant clients could choose their own clothing and bedding, which would go some way to providing a sense of control while navigating a difficult situation.
“We would have stuff [at the office] that people had donated but we didn’t know if clients liked them,” Ms Reynolds explained.
“[Now] we open the op shop and our clients don’t pay for anything.
“We give them a gift voucher which gives them dignity so they can go into the shop and choose what they want.”
Special service
Ms Skordalis says she has enjoyed the drama that can come with bridal fittings.
“I did have a lady come in about a month ago and she was a bit stressed out,” Ms Skordalis says.
The woman’s long-term partner had suddenly proposed and a quick wedding was on the cards.
“I kept pulling out dresses that I thought might suit her and helped her to try them on, doing up her corsets and things like that,” she says.
The bride finally found the perfect dress, which Ms Skordalis says was a magical moment because all the dresses are unique styles and sizes.
The happy bride later returned with a box of chocolates to say thank you.
“It’s funny, because growing up [TV show] ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ was my favorite show. Now, I’m actually living it.”
