Military Brides Get Free Wedding Dresses

(NECN/WSVN) - Service men and women sacrifice a lot when they are deployed. But the family they leave behind also makes sacrifices. Women give up their dream weddings, with no time to plan one before a deployment. But a bridal shop owner in Florida is giving them a second chance to make it happen.

Meghan Ramey and her husband Kevin got married a year and a half ago, but it was not the wedding she had always dreamed of.

"We actually got married very quickly at the justice of the peace," she said. "He was getting ready to deploy."

Her purple dress was from Goodwill and cost $5, but she held onto hope that one day she'd get a do-over. Seven months ago, Gillianna was born. Three months after that, Kevin left for Afghanistan and money got tight. Her dream of walking down the aisle in a beautiful gown faded. That is, until Lilly Garcia came along, giving her this $800 dress for free.

Lilly Garcia, who owns Merlili in Coral Gables, was looking for a way to give back. She found brides across America.

"I was like, 'Oh my God. This is incredible,'" she said. "Not only do I get to donate the gowns, but I get to meet the girls."

In honor of Veterans Day, Garcia and other shop owners across the country are giving free wedding gowns to service women and to the significant others of men who have or currently are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or Qatar.

"So, they thank me and I'm like, 'are you kidding me? This is peanuts. What you guys are doing for us and for our safety and for our country is priceless.' And this is just a little way of saying thanks."

Garcia is giving away a total of 50 dresses ranging from $500 to $2,000, and because she is the only bridal shop in Florida participating, she has brides coming down from as far away as Jacksonville.

Garcia also inspiring other businesses, like the the owner of sugar mama, who brought over cupcakes to these much deserving military brides, many of whom, like Megan Ramey, call Lilly Garcia their dream saver.

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