New wedding dresses sell for $100 or less at Sarasota shop during 3-day sale to raise money for the arts

Affordable wedding dresses on sale after donation

Kimberly Kuizon reports

SARASOTA, Fla. - From classic lace to those that sparkle and shine, The Exchange in Sarasota is selling 300 new wedding dresses for $100 or less to raise money for a good cause.

"Some of the dresses are extremely stunning. They really are," stated Karen Koblenz, executive director and CEO of The Exchange. "They are beautiful. They are not second-class dresses. They are just gorgeous."

On Thursday, Koblenz welcomed women waiting to browse the dresses.

"We had about 20 people in line before we opened this morning," she shared. "It’s a constant plow of people coming in this morning and they’re excited and buying 1,2 and 3 dresses at a time."

A bridal shop in Bradenton donated the new dresses, that are valued between $600 - $1,000. Now, they’re for sale from $35 - $100.

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"We had to fit an entire store into our existing store," Koblenz explained. "It was challenging, but it was fun. We are hoping to bring in young people, save them money and have a little fun."

It’s not just for brides. There are tuxedos, shirts, and bow ties for men as well as mother-of-the-bride dresses and flower girl dresses.

The sale of the dresses and everything at The Exchange goes directly to support the arts of Sarasota through grants or scholarships.

Since 1962, The Exchange has awarded $10 million in grants and scholarships.

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"Sarasota is known for being an art capital, and it's important to the economy as well," Koblenz explained.

Bride-to-be Jessica Fabre stopped by to browse.

"The prices seem to be really good," Fabre said. "I haven’t tried any on yet, but we will see if we find some treasure."

After all, it doesn’t matter how much the dress costs, but how it makes each bride shine on her wedding day.

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"Fifty dollars for a wedding dress. That’s amazing. You can put that money toward your honeymoon, your wedding, and other things you need. Everything is so expensive nowadays. If you can find a beautiful dress for less I say go for it. Take a peek," said Fabre.