Selling Wedding Dresses for Charity!
$150 starting price
Erin Scharf
MANAGER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (1X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Brides for a Cause is open in San Diego! Come shop hundreds of wedding dresses up to 70% off!
This wedding store offers an affordable, charitable, and sustainable way to shop for your wedding dress! You can explore the carefully curated collection, which features off-the-rack gowns, plus size options, and a range of elegant and timeless designs.
Brides for a Cause is a charity wedding boutique located in San Diego with boutique locations in Portland, Tacoma, Seattle and Sacramento! This innovative organization collects and resells donated wedding dresses from high-end shops, designers, and other wedding stores from all over the country. You can reserve a fitting room for your first appointment, where you will have the chance to try on up to 15 dresses during a 60-minute reservation.
Each Brides for a Cause boutique is stocked with over 700 wedding dresses. Thanks to the donations, the expert style team regularly receives new styles, designs, and sizes for you to enjoy. A large portion of their collection is brand new samples, offering you exceptional designer dresses at a much-discounted price. The dedicated team will offer you a warm welcome, helping you find "the one" and bringing your wedding vision to life with ease!
Woman-owned Business
Prices & packages
Couples usually spend $600
Looking for more pricing details?
Reach out to get a customized quote from this undefined.
Details
Accessories
Clutches & Handbags
Cover Ups
Hair Accessories
Sashes & Belts
Shoes
Veils
Dresses
Bridesmaid Dresses
Mother of the Bride Dresses
Shower & Party Dresses
Wedding Dresses
Fashion Services
Bridal Stylists
Plus Size Available
Suits & Accessories
Shoes
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Erin Scharf
Manager
Erin started Brides for a Cause in 2012! She's currently the Founder & Executive Director.
Since 2012, Brides for a Cause has recycled over 35,000 dresses and given way $2.5 Million to charity! Our charity bridal store wouldn't be possible without our donors from around the country who generously donate wedding gowns and to our brides who choose our bridal store to shop for their wedding dresses!
Donate or purchase your wedding dress from Brides for a Cause to help raise funds for charity!
Availability
Reviews
4.9
out of 5.020 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Wedding dress shopping at Brides for a Cause San Diego is a delightful and budget-friendly experience. Reviewers rave about the welcoming and attentive staff who help find dream dresses within budget. The store's beautiful showroom, wide variety of dresses from top brands, and discounted prices impress visitors. Customers appreciate the sustainable approach and charitable mission of the store, making it a highly recommended choice for brides seeking a unique and affordable wedding gown while supporting a great cause.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
- Top reviews
- Newest first
- Oldest first
- Highest rated
- Lowest rated
Sort by
Megan D
5.0
4/23/2025
The service here is top notch. They offer advice on what can be altered/what can't. They are very knowledgeable and can help you pick out flattering styles. Great selection and great prices. Would highly recommend checking this place out - the gowns are high quality.
Melissa P
3.0
3/18/2025
I was so excited to come in for my appointment because I love the idea behind this shop. However, I had made my appointment over the phone and double checked I could bring 5 guests, she had said yes and scheduled it for me. I got the confirmation email and said maximum of 3 guests, so when I called to confirm the manager informed that I was told incorrectly and was actually quite rude, but did accommodate.
Day of I show up with my guests as the first appointment, staff was sweet and leads us to the room and helps to pick some dresses. However when I’m about to try on the first dress and need help the staff is nowhere to be found. Many of the dresses were ripped and not in good quality.
Any questions?
Emma H
5.0
2/25/2025
I messaged the team about a dress I saw on instagram and they let me come in that day. I bought a brand new dress with tags still on for a fraction of the cost. The team was incredibly informative and kind! The proceeds all go to charity. I would 10/10 recommend this place!
London M
5.0
2/19/2025
i found my dream dress here and had the most incredible experience!! andrea and her coworker were amazing and so helpful. i love that i found my dream dress and stayed within budget. they were so accommodating and supportive and we all enjoyed being in the shop, which is so freaking cute & aesthetic ❤️ 10/10 would recommend!!
Caterina C
5.0
1/09/2025
These ladies are so sweet and fun. Doing your own shopping means you can grab ANYTHING. Recently bought my wedding dress here and the tag said it retailed for $2350. Brides for a cause had it for $500! And then they had an end of year clearance sale, I spent less than $400 on a dream. Recommending this place to EVERYONE.
Elaheh K
5.0
1/05/2025
Absolutely loved my experience at Brides for a Cause! The sales team was so nice and attentive. And the selection of dresses was amazing! Overall, it was a great experience and I am so happy I found my dream dress!
Sydney H
5.0
11/11/2024
Brides for a cause was such an amazing experience! I was looking for places to shop for my wedding dress and came across them via google search. I read their story and what they do and knew I wanted to go there and shop for my dress. As soon as I walked in, everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly! I picked out some dresses to try on and ended up finding my dream dress in under an hour! It was originally marked at $3,500 and I got the dress and cathedral veil for $1,100. They were the first place I looked as a first time, newly engaged bride. It was a perfect place to dress shop and I can’t recommend them more!
Mercedez R
5.0
10/06/2024
The service here is amazing. The ladies are so sweet and very helpful when it comes to finding your dress. They also know how to hype you up once your dream dress is acquired! 😭 I recommend this place to anyone who is looking to find a beautiful, modern dress. The prices are fair too, considering how much they originally cost and how well kept they are. They also dry clean all the donations they receive too!! Also, if you happen to buy a dress that has tears, you will definitely be told before buying, so no need to worry about that. There are SOOO many options to choose from at this beautifully affordable boutique!❤️😊
Rhianna H
5.0
9/21/2024
I came here for my first location to look for my wedding dress and the second dress I tried on was THE one. Every staff member was so kind and the entire experience was better than I could've imagined. I walked into my appointment a little nervous but as soon as my family and I walked in we were greeted warmly and supported through every step of the process. If you're unsure of where to find your dream dress plus a dream experience, Brides for a Cause is definitely the place to go! Plus by getting your dress you're helping local charities around you, sounds like a win to me.
Marie A
5.0
9/18/2024
I came to Brides for a Cause San Diego just to look. I was so surprised at the quality, brands, variety, and mostly the prices. I love a good deal. Some dresses still had tags on them and the dresses were $100-$800. I had already purchased a dress elsewhere for a small courthouse style wedding. I was able to find a cape style veil that I had been looking at online. It still had the $250 price tag on it and I got it for $30. I might replace the combs that came on it with clips that I can pin to the shoulders of my dress but for the price it was a steal. I wish more people knew of this place! Fantastic!
Mari R
5.0
9/11/2024
I found my dress here!! Very pleasant experience! Huge variety of dresses from many brands and styles with a great price! Plus by buying here you are supporting women causes!
Alanna S
5.0
9/10/2024
Best wedding dress shopping experience ever! I went in on an afternoon in the middle of last week and there were no appointments after me. I had the whole store to myself and the assistant manager was so helpful! She let me try on as many dresses as I wanted and helped me search for dresses. She ended up finding me the dress that I said yes to! She helped me zip up the dresses and also took videos and photos of me in the dresses in order to help me decide. This was the least stressful experience I’ve had and is unlike any other bridal dress shopping experience I’ve had thus far. I found my dream dress at a literal fraction of the cost and I could not be happier to donate to such a good cause. I ended up walking out with my dream dress, veil, sparkly belt, and shoes all in one day. I’m still over the moon and cannot stop taking about it. Thank you Brides for a cause! <3
Jennifer B
5.0
8/27/2024
First of all, I found my dream dress here so I LOVE it. However, I have to say how amazing the entire experience was! Their showroom is very beautiful and bright, they let you try on up to 5 dresses at a time and you really pick them yourselves. Once you are ready they have a really pretty pink dressing room area with a huge mirror for you to see the dress! The associates are there to pin the dress if its too big, and give you any details you may not know. They also have some AMAZING accessories and veils to try on and they are a flat $100. They had a pair of Manolo Blahniks for only $100 I was dying for but they were not my size :(
The dress I got was a sample never worn or altered by another bride designer gown by Allison Webb! It retails for around $6k, and I stole it for $1,200! The associates there even let me walk around the entire store and took videos so I could see how it looked as I walked from behind. They were also very helpful with some alterations questions I had even though they do not offer alterations there.
If you are looking to cut costs on your dress, but still want a gorgeous gown I highly recommend checking this place out!
Leah E
5.0
7/31/2024
I had an absolute amazing experience with Brides for a Cause. All of the stylists are so welcoming and friendly/supportive that making my dress decision was seamless and effortless. I have followed this company for years and have always LOVED what they stood for and getting my dress from here felt amazing. Not to mention there was still a new tag on the dress for under $500! Definitely the best prices and best styles in the area. I cannot recommend this store enough.
Holli M
5.0
7/26/2024
Andrea was incredibly helpful, efficient, knowledgeable, fun, and really helped me finalize my dress decision today! They have a great selection of 0, 2, 4s, with accessories to match. Super clean and roomy area to try everything on. The full hour was enough time to try on 5 dresses, narrow down to a few and pick the final one for your big day. You can pick them out yourself, low pressure sales, and relaxed environment. Pricing was fantastic, my dress was $350, veil $70, and belt $30. Come check them out!
Annie S
5.0
7/12/2024
I had the best experience shopping here! I've always felt very strongly about textile waste, so when I saw that there was a more sustainable option for wedding dresses in San Diego, I knew I wanted to try it. I wound up going home with the most beautiful sample gown that was six times below my budget!
Sally L
5.0
6/28/2024
I had a great experience at Brides for a Cause - San Diego! Andrea in particular was fantastic at helping select and style dresses for me to try. This store was incredibly attentive, flexible, and was not crowded during my appointment. I had tons of space to try on dresses and for my guests to sit (one of them had a sprained ankle and the team was so accommodating). Despite this store having opened recently, they have a large selection of great quality dresses, all reasonably priced and going to great causes. I highly recommend this place!
Rosie S
5.0
6/21/2024
I had a wonderful experience at this store! So many choices and beautiful dresses. I went home with a dress and veil. I highly recommend this place. The store itself was so clean and organized. Overall, lovely place and staff. Thank you!🩷
Kayli J
5.0
6/17/2024
Everyone was welcoming and friendly! No pushiness or pressure from the staff. I loved that you could pull your dress selections off the rack yourself, and there was a gorgeous variety to choose from! 10/10 recommend for brides on a tight budget!
Paige H
5.0
6/10/2024
I cannot say enough good things about Brides for a Cause! I learned about their mission when I first got engaged and really wanted to find my dress at one of their locations. I love that they are bringing sustainability and philanthropy to the wedding industry. I was prepared to make a trip from SoCal to Sacramento to shop in their store, so I was SO excited to hear about their San Diego location opening. I went to their new location on opening weekend and I said YES to the dress!! I found a dress that was EXACTLY what I had pinned on my Pinterest board. I had major concerns about the cost of altering a wedding dress as I am short; however, I happened to fall in love with a dress that was already altered to my height! It could not have worked out more perfectly!! The staff was so kind and helpful and it was so great being able to try on a large variety of dress designers and styles all at very reasonable price points. They let you try on significantly more dresses than most bridal salons and it was fun being able pull your own dresses off the racks rather than having dresses selected for you by staff. They stock a HUGE variety of sizes and styles of wedding dresses, but also special occasion dresses and accessories (veils, shrugs, shawls). The staff is very committed to helping brides find their dress and making you feel so special as you try on dresses! HIGHLY recommend supporting this organization and I am so excited to wear my dress!
Contact
Curious to learn more?
Start the convo
*=Required
Use this secure form to reach out and share your wedding vision.
Brides for a Cause - San Diego
Erin Scharf
|
Manager
Typically responds within 24h
- Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
- Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
- Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
- For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.
By clicking 'Request Quote', you agree to The Knot creating an account for you, if you don't have one, and to our Terms of Use. See our Privacy Policy to learn what data we collect and how we use it.
Wedding vendors in San Diego
Brides for a Cause - San Diego
Brides for a Cause - San Diego's photos
Why use The Knot to message vendors?
- Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
- Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
- Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
- For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.