The last few days before a wedding can be stressful. Especially if you’re forced to flee a wildfire-ravaged area — without your wedding dress.
Elise Boissonneault was supposed to pick up her gown from her Fort McMurray tailor Tuesday night. Instead she and her fiance, along with over 80,000 others, were evacuated from their city.
The couple was able to make it safely to Toronto on Thursday. It’s the halfway point between her family on the East Coast and friends in Alberta; it’s where the two are set to tie the knot this weekend.
With just a couple days before the big day, the dressless bride-to-be asked her Toronto photographer for help.
“I know it seems so petty but I couldn’t wait to wear my dress. It was beautiful. I felt like a princess,” she told her in an email.
Alex Neary of Wild Eyed Photography immediately turned to Facebook with a plea on the Bunz Wedding Zone page, which is essentially a trading post for brides.
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“Literally within an hour there were so many comments and shares,” said Neary.
Most of the comments were from women in Ontario, who shared photos of their gowns they were willing to give up.
Some were also from shops in Alberta, offering to rush-deliver a free gown.
“Hundreds and hundreds of strangers offering their wedding dress to her,” Neary added.
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“I can’t believe the amount of support,” Boissonneault said. “People have been so amazing.”
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As grateful and appreciative as she is of everyone’s offers, she decided to accept an invitation from a Toronto bridal store to come in and try as many dresses as she needs, until she finds one she loves that also fits.
Lea-Ann Belter Bridal is loaning Boissonneault not one, but two bridal gowns. The 29-year-old had a hard time deciding between a couple options at the store Thursday evening.
So she’ll wear one for her ceremony and the other to her reception.
“I don’t think you could hear her story and not want to help out. If you can make something easier for this poor woman in any way I’m more than happy to donate some dresses,” said Ginny Monaco, the shop manager of Lea-Ann Belter Bridal.
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“I can’t even thank people enough for just trying to get me a dress, like there’s so many other things and so many other people to help,” Boissonneault said.
She’s learned that her tailor’s shop, filled with a number of other women’s wedding dresses, has been destroyed.
Her maid of honour from Fort McMurray won’t be able to make it out for her wedding day. She wasn’t even able to make it home before the evacuation.
Boissonneault doesn’t know if her own home will still be standing when she gets back. She just feels fortunate to have been able to pack her “little farm” (two dogs, a cat and a rabbit) and escape to Edmonton. Others didn’t even get to do that.
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She’s also determined not to let the situation back home ruin her special day.
“It’s still hard, but I’m so happy that I have a dress now, dresses. And I’m getting excited now.”
You can see more photos from the couple’s wedding day here.
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