Toronto business More 2 Love Bridal is an innovator in the wedding style space as Canada’s first curve-exclusive wedding boutique. Last autumn, owners Monika Kakucska-Godin and Laura Pantin expanded their business to include a wedding dress resale program—another first in the curve fashion space—and it’s been a huge hit.
“We created the program because there’s a growing need within the curvy bridal market for high-quality, designer gowns that are available quickly and at more accessible price points,” Kakucska-Godin shares. “Many brides are working with much shorter wedding timelines and curated resale options give them access to beautiful gowns without the long order period.”
Kakucska-Godin says the idea to expand their bridal business with a consignment component also came from past brides who had very few places to consign their gowns where sizing, fit, and specialized knowledge in curve-size bridal were truly understood.
“Because our entire clientele is made up of curvy and plus-size brides, consignors can feel confident that their gowns will be seen by women who are the right fit, the right size range, and genuinely searching for these gowns,” Kakucska-Godin explains. “Ultimately, it’s a win-win: the original bride earns back some value, and a new bride finds a stunning gown in her size at a fraction of the original cost all without compromising on quality or the boutique experience.”
When it comes to consigning a dress, here’s little how the process works at More2Love. All brides looking to sell a curve size gown are welcome (not just previous clients) and the wedding dress must be no more than three years old and aligned with today’s bridal fashion trends. From there the boutique does a consignment consultation to review the gown, the original purchase receipt and note any alternations that were made or need to be made. From there a price is determined (the typical range is between $1,200 up to $4,000) and a dress can stay in the boutique for up to a year. Once sold, the consignor received 50% of the selling price paid out within 30 days.
Since launching resale at the boutique, Kakucska-Godin says the response has been overwhelmingly positive from both sellers and purchasers.
“Buyers are thrilled to find elevated design options in their size at accessible price points,” Kakucska-Godin says “Consignors appreciate how easy and stress-free our resale program is compared to selling a gown privately via an online platform. We take care of everything from marketing to try-ons and there’s no need for back-and-forth messaging, meeting strangers or negotiating. It’s a win-win situation: the original bride earns back some value, and a new bride finds a stunning gown in her size without compromising on quality or the bridal shopping experience. —Alison McGill
5 Canadian Resale Bridal Boutiques to Shop Now
Six Pence Bridal Boutique
This charming Guelph, Ontario boutique is full of dream dresses from the top bridal brands, and it’s not uncommon to find never-worn gowns on the racks. Opened in 2016, owner Jackie opened Six Pence Bridal out of a desire to create a place for brides-to-be with an eco-consciousness to find great fashion.
Serendipity Bridal Boutique
A love for sustainable fashion is at the heart of this Victoria-based business which stocks a range of wedding dress styles and sizes to suit every bride. A scan of their current online inventory revealed a stellar lineup of gowns in a range of sizes and silhouettes from mermaid, ball gown and A-line from designers including Pronovias and Maggie Sottero.
The Bragging Bride Bridal Boutique
New and designer consigned gowns are what you’ll find inside this Calgary shop. Dresses are a mix of new garments from discontinued or overstocked lines, or wedding dresses consigned by previous brides. Designer names you will find here on the regular include Hayley Page, Watters, and Essence of Australia.
Second Love
The dreamy inventory of wedding dresses at this Vancouver boutique is comprised of both vintage and consignment pieces which makes it a super fun shopping experience. Prices for dresses range from the low hundreds into the thousands for big designer names. Some treasures we spotted online: a frothy Vera Wang ball gown named Dorothy, and the Pippa silk taffeta bubble hemline dress from Danielle Frankel.
The Bride’s Project
This Toronto bridal salon is brimming with gorgeous gowns (new and used) that are not consigned but have been donated to raise money for cancer charities. To date, the Bride’s Project has raised over $1.7 million dollars to fight cancer. There is a huge inventory of gowns available to shop online in wide size range and you can also shop here for up accessories like veils, jewellery, and even find precious dresses for flower girls.
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