By Heather Posey
Staff Writer
Things are getting thrifty at His Nesting Place Ministries. The local maternity home and its adjacent thrift store are giving future brides the deal of a lifetime. Starting today, the shelter’s thrift shop is selling wedding dresses, formals and accessories starting at $15.99.
After neighboring bridal shop Allusions closed its doors earlier this year, the store donated its entire stock of bridesmaid dresses, wedding gowns, veils and shoes to His Nesting Place to do what they wish. His Nesting Place is a non-profit Christian organization located in North Long Beach that gives women in crisis pregnancies an alternative to abortion through their maternity home, pregnancy help center and spiritually centered program.
According to His Nesting Place staff, the surplus of formal wear is so abundant that the shelter had to rent a storage space to house the 400-plus dresses and other items. “We have too many of these, and we need to get rid of them,” said financial administrator Diana Cattani. “I know we’re not going to sell them overnight, but whatever we can will help.”
Cattani and the staff have spent days sorting through the dresses and boxes of accessories. The racks have filled the nearby building to capacity and the adjacent room is stacked with veils, tiaras and shoes, which are also marked down to $15 and $25.
According to Cattani, nearly all the dresses are new, most with the original tags still on them with the original prices ranging from $125 to $650. Due to the excessive amount of supplies, the local ministry is more than happy to sell them at such low costs.
“We were blessed by this. It’s a wonderful thing and now we have to sell it at a low price,” Cattani said. “Besides, where else are you going to find a wedding dress that’s practically free.”
Sizes range from petite to plus, and all proceeds go to help the foundation for unwed mothers in crisis pregnancies. The thrift shop is open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
His Nesting Place is located at 350 East Market Street in Long Beach. For more information, call (562) 422-2137 or visit www.hisnestingplace.org.
