Selling Wedding Dresses for Charity!
Erin Scharf
MANAGER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (2X)
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
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
2-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2026.2025.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
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!
Reviews
4.9
out of 5.038 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Brides for a Cause is a clean, well-organized boutique with a large, varied selection of designer wedding dresses at steeply discounted prices. Reviewers praised the relaxed, no-pressure shopping, spacious dressing rooms, and friendly, helpful staff. Many found their dream dress quickly and loved that purchases support charities, though some gowns may need alterations.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
John B
5.0
7/10/2026
Hi, my name is John. Are you available on July 27? I’m not very active on this app, and it’s not letting me message you properly, so I had to reach out here. Please text me when yo...
u get this message. Thank you.
434-418-0656
Donna H
5.0
6/14/2026
I have been to several bridal boutiques now, and have had an unimpressive experience in about 4 San Diego boutiques, better experiences in LA--regardless Brides for a Cause was a g...
reat experience. The appointment setting was seamless, Elaine who works at the front is extremely helpful, present, knowledgeable, and great to work with. The store is nice, has loads of options at great prices, and offers a list of all the women's organizations they donate too--a really large percentage of their income goes to nonprofits -- I think Brides for a Cause is a nonprofit itself. If you are looking to save money, or even just explore what is out there I highly recommend checking this place out. You get to choose your own dresses, they help you get situated, you try on at your own pace, and have a lot of time and freedom really look through what your options are.
Any questions?
Anne R
5.0
6/12/2026
Loved the concept and the price! The staff as also so nice and helpful! I was able to “Say yes to the dress”!
Nate G
5.0
6/10/2026
I had a great experience here! The boutique was clean and well laid out. The dressing rooms were spacious and I appreciated the floor to ceiling mirrors. Their selection is so uniq...
ue and I found my wedding dress here!
Alejandra Q
5.0
6/02/2026
Okay so before I say all the nice things I have to say, I'll mention that I had no idea this place existed and I didn't know what to expect! I initially intended to book an appoint...
ment at a bridal shop with brand new dresses and the whole group champagne service but a friend recommended I try this store first. Coming in, I didn't anticipate I'd find a dress and really just wanted to try things on to see what I liked. The options here were incredible, tailored, and already fit so well! Some of the dresses are a bit more worn than others but it's nothing a tailor/dry cleaning can't fix and you honestly cannot find a better price! My dress was half its original price and absolutely beautiful! I'm so happy I found my dress in less than an hour and the team was amazing in helping me visualize how amazing I could look! They were attentive but let my mom and MIL pick my dresses for me and made the experience more meaningful. It was such a well organized store and the styles were endless! I couldn't have loved this place more and knowing I didn't blow a budget for a dress I'd only wear a few hours but still feel beautiful in was so worth it!
Kelly S
5.0
5/08/2026
Elaine was very knowledgeable, helpful, and kind! I was looking for a quick and simple experience, but still a good one and that is exactly what I got. Highly recommend checking ou...
t Brides for a Cause if you’re in search of a wedding dress in San Diego.
Hanna V
5.0
2/05/2026
I had an amazing experience at Brides for a Cause. The attendance were all very kind and supportive. The shop seemed clean, was very organized. And it was perfect for a bride like ...
me - who at the time just wanted to explore options and get a feel for being in a dress for the first time! My friends enjoyed that they got to be more hands on than at a formal bridal boutique - my friends helped me pick dresses, try them on, etc.
Gwendolyn R
5.0
1/31/2026
I cannot recommend Brides for a Cause highly enough. Their mission alone would be reason to check it out, but I was so grateful for the beauty of the store, the variety and quality...
of dresses, the helpfulness of the team, and the welcoming culture that was palpable throughout the space. Shopping for a dress can be stressful for all different financial and social reasons, and the ease of trying dresses on at BFAC took so much of that away. I especially appreciated how they are welcoming of all genders and body types, have the (very reasonable) prices clearly displayed on the tag of each dress, and allow you to peruse the racks on your own without pressure or hovering. My brother was able to help me talk through my decision without salespeople trying to intervene, and I was thrilled to be able to walk away with a $400, beautiful dress that was subversive to the traditional wedding gown money grab, without having to sacrifice on a special bridal experience. I am so grateful places like this exist, and highly recommend to any bride, but especially one who wants to feel more control over her financial decisions and support beautiful causes while still looking beautiful. The inventory turns over a lot, and so I recommend making more appointments for a month or so later if you go once and don't find exactly what you are looking for.
Jessica H
5.0
1/24/2026
Highly recommend going to Brides for a Cause if you like high quality and great service!! The staff was so helpful and we could not have had a better experience!!
Sarah C
5.0
1/24/2026
Overall a 10/10 experience. I emailed the shop beforehand and asked if they had anything similar to what I envisioned. Elaine replied so quickly. Shortly after, I booked an appoint...
ment. In the shop, I loved being able to move at my own pace. The dress I ended up buying was originally $400 but I got it 50% off. Amazing deal! They also gave me a list of alteration and dry cleaning places that they recommended. Amazing staff!
Bethany S
5.0
1/13/2026
I had the best experience at Brides for a Cause! I went to the SD location. The atmosphere was relaxed with no hovering of sales persons, They let us look through all the dresses,...
even my mom and SIL and pick what we liked. They have tons of inventory in dresses and even accessories! I found my dress and vail! While only costing a fraction of the designer price! Couldn't have asked for a better experience and supporting a great cause!
Marielle C
5.0
7/05/2025
I booked an appointment at Brides for a Cause uncertain if I was even going to buy a dress for my wedding. But Brides for a Cause made it easy for my to say "Yes to the Dress". The...
y have a wonderful selection of dresses and the the prices are incredible. I got my sample dress for about a quarter of the original price. I also was able to get a very affordable cathedral veil. The staff were super helpful and very able to help you find dresses that you may I have missed while you grabbed your initial dresses.
The dressing area has 6 individual rooms surrounding a large central area. When I was there there were two to three others trying on dresses at the same time. I personally loved this as it is fun to see and support other people's dress making choices.
The sessions are typically booked for 1 hour, but Brides for a Cause let me stay past my time to make a decision on which dress I wanted to buy, which I really appreciated. I would say, if you could book two back to back sessions that might be helpful if you are planning on picking and buying a dress.
One thing I will say is I am white and I bought a size 12 wedding dress. They had a large range of size selection with the most amount of dresses in sizes 8-14. I think a lot of the dresses with mesh components seemed likely to work better with lighter skin.
I overall had an incredible time at Bride for a Cause and cannot recommend them enough.
Annaliese A
5.0
7/04/2025
I bought my wedding dress at Brides for a Cause San Diego. I was very impressed with the variety of styles and sizes. I loved that there was a good mix of different designers or st...
yles rather than going to other stores that catered to a specific vision. As an indecisive bride who did not have a dream dress in mind, the options really let me try all the styles. It was straight out of a movie, me and my bridesmaids grabbing dresses and trying everything. It was an amazing, effortless, and dreamy experience and not to mention a great value! I was able to complete my bridal look for less than 1,000, Veil included. There were options I truly considered for less than $500. It was a great value and experience.
Carrie F
5.0
7/01/2025
I’m had the best experience!
Elaine and Andrea were so friendly and helpful. They helped me select beautiful, high quality dresses with my preferred dress style and size. They help...
ed me button up and took pictures for me so I could see how the dresses looked. The dress selection was beautiful and I was very pleased to have multiple top choices to choose from. They were so patient and happy to help while I took my time trying on the dresses. The one I chose was by a designer whose dresses I did not want to pay full price for.
Knowing that the funds from this purchase will go to charity is the icing on the cake! I would recommend to all.
Nicole G
5.0
6/30/2025
A great experience finding my dress! I had tried on dresses at 2 other boutiques, & just hadn't yet found "the one" until I came here. As a budget bride and a recent cancer survivo...
r, I felt great about supporting them because of all the ways in which they give back, and the associates were so patient and helpful despite it being a busy day for them. Definitely recommend that brides-to-be check them out!
Jordan P
5.0
6/27/2025
the most fun shopping experience I had, and the most cost effective too! There were dresses for all budgets
Kristen C
5.0
6/26/2025
I could not have had a better experience for trying dresses on. I ended up finding my perfect Enzoani dress and I’m in love. I could not recommend this store more to any bride to b...
e.
Rachel T
5.0
5/18/2025
I wish I could leave more than 5 stars for this wonderful gem! When I first started looking for wedding dresses, I was getting discouraged by pricing. I randomly googled bridal gow...
ns for charity, and Brides for a Cause came up! I was immediately drawn to the concept- especially since I grew up with one of the organizations (AAUW) that they donated to for most of my life! I went on the 25% off Sale Day this past April. I loved that I could browse at my own pace and try on multiple dresses from many different designers. Em was such an amazing and helpful stylist! The first dress I tried on will now be my wedding dress and for a literal fraction of the cost! It is in excellent condition and absolutely spectacular. We even found a veil (also on sale) that matches perfectly! There is truly something for everyone here- literally so many styles and designs. It is clean, well-stocked. Thank you for making my dreams come true- I literally tell everyone about this place! Happy shopping to all future brides! Andrea and Em- thank you thank you again!
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 gre...
at 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.
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 incred...
ibly 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 budge...
t. 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 c...
ause 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 a...
m 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 t...
hem 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 a...
ssistant 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 ma...
tch. 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 attentiv...
e, 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 a...
nd 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 vari...
ety 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 lov...
e 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!
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Brides for a Cause - San Diego
Erin Scharf
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Manager
Typically responds within 24h
Wedding vendors in San Diego
Brides for a Cause - San Diego
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