insideKENT Magazine Issue 47 - February 2016 | Page 34

WEDDINGS

FIND YOUR DREAM DRESS AND
SUPPORT DEMELZA
You don’t need a big budget to find your dream
wedding dress – and what you do spend can help
support a vital cause
Step downstairs at the Demelza Hospice Care
for Children’s charity shop at 18a and 18b
Burgate, Canterbury and you may be in for a big
surprise.
The elegant basement room is filled to
bursting with over 300 styles and sizes of bridal
gowns, a wide choice of bridesmaid or prom
dresses and wedding accessories too. There’s
a private changing area and full-length mirrors
for brides-to-be to see the dresses in their full
glory.
A fully stocked bridal department is not
what most people expect from a charity shop,
but opening on the site of the former Jodi bridal
shop in July 2015 gave Demelza the idea of
keeping on a wedding service.
Pre-loved and never worn wedding dresses
donated to the charity’s shops across Kent, East
Sussex and South East London are carefully
selected by Canterbury shop manager Lauren
Ashby, a former jewellery designer with a fine
eye for fashion.
Prices start from just £80, rising to £500
for brand new designer gowns. You will likely find

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some big-name labels nestling on the racks,
including Jenny Packham and Lynn Ashworth.
And if your favourite dress needs a tweak here
or there, Demelza even has a volunteer
seamstress, dressmaker Angela Sandey, on hand
to make it absolutely perfect.
“We really love to find these beautiful dresses
a home,” says Lauren. “We’re proud to offer a
personal service for brides-to-be and their families
and friends. They can either just pop in or book
an appointment and have the whole bridal
department to themselves. I think it’s such an
amazing way to donate money to charity while
getting a wonderful dress for yourself.”
Demelza Hospice Care for Children provides
vital care to seriously ill babies, children and
young people and support to their wider families
in Kent and across the South East. The charity
isn’t part of the NHS and instead relies almost
entirely on donations and fundraising.
You can contact the Canterbury bridal
department on 01227 471896. To find your
nearest shop to donate a wedding or bridesmaid
dress, please visit www.demelza.org.uk.