This Saturday, Goodwill will sell thousands of brand-name wedding dresses for $25+

The event starts at 9 a.m. and runs while supplies last, so consider getting in line a couple hours early to take advantage of the best deals.

District manager Colleen Rizzo says you’ll find gowns from designers like Blush Bridal, Watters, and Vera Wang. One notable find, she says, is a gown that still has the tags on and retails for $6,100. It’s listed at Goodwill for $499.

Considering the average wedding dress in North Carolina costs $1,460, that’s a significant saving.

Dresses range in size from 00-28. In addition, Goodwill will have an extensive amount of mother of the bride dresses, bridesmaid gowns, flower girl dresses, shoes, veils, and even prom dresses.

The event, located at 5301 Wilkinson Boulevard, is in its second year. Last year, 75 people were lined up before the doors opened.

Taylor Pfeiffer was first in line at last year’s sale, arriving two hours before the doors opened to secure her spot.

The wait paid off for Pfeiffer. She bought her wedding gown (with the tags still on!) and veil that day, spending $125 in total. Her dress alone retailed for $1,400. She says she took the money she would have spent on a more expensive dress and put it toward her destination wedding and month-long honeymoon.

Pfeiffer and her husband eloped on a mountaintop in New Zealand, so she didn’t want to spend thousands on a gown that would inevitably be taking some wear and tear from the elements. Pfeiffer describes herself as “thrifty” person who values the “sustainability factor” of Goodwill.

“A lot of people talk about drinking out of paper straws, but they don’t want to talk about the carbon emissions that happen when all this clothing is created for different seasons and what that does for the environment,” she says.

Though the dress shopping experience at the Goodwill sale was not the traditional, champagne-in-hand vibe you might find at a local bridal salon, Pfeiffer says she valued the camaraderie of it all.

“Everyone there was super kind to each other. If someone was trying on something that they knew wasn’t for them and someone had eyes on it, they’d pass it over to each other. That was a lot of fun to experience,” she says.

Her advice to other brides is simple: “Go in with an open mind and have fun. Bring a friend with you to help hold things. And wear clothes that are easy to get in and out of for trying on.”