For the first time in 10 years of owning Ava Clara Couture Bridal Shop, Alex Fleear had to close her doors from March to June to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
She struggled with the ripple effects the virus would have on her life and on the country.
One question kept nagging her: “What is my purpose when I can’t operate my store anymore?”
Fleear said she set out to find a way to give brides who work in healthcare a silver lining during a dark time. She decided to organize a wedding gown giveaway for hospital workers who have risked their lives on the front lines during the pandemic through her nonprofit Tulle 4 All.
“I think there needs to be way more community right now to show we can get through this,” Fleear said. “We can all do our part to make a difference.”
Fleear organized bridal gown giveaways in the past for teachers and people connected to the military. She said charity work helps her connect with the humanistic part of the wedding industry and is her way of thanking workers in those fields.
More than 600 healthcare workers from across the country applied to receive free gowns. Fleear was inspired by the entries from those who described working with little access to personal protective equipment and continuing to treat patients while risking their own health.
Many couples will have memories of the pandemic when they reflect on their engagement period and weddings, and Fleear said she wanted to do something to make others happy.
“It helps to read these stories and to get out of my own personal funk,” she said. “With the doom and gloom and feeling low, it gave me a sense of someone else has it way worse. It has helped me a lot with my emotional grief.”
The bridal shop originally planned to give away 50 gowns, but Fleear said she received enough donations for 75 health care workers to receive a free designer wedding gown valued up to $4,000. Most of the brides will select a gown Sunday during a 30-minute appointment. Some in states farther way — such as New York — are unable to attend due to a travel ban, and will get their dresses later.
Fleear said she plans to hold another gown giveaway next year to helpbrides who were not selected but are getting married later in 2021 or in 2022.
Alex Schweiger, 25, of Virginia Beach, will be one of the lucky brides receiving a dress. She graduated nursing school in May and works at Sentara Heart Hospital in Norfolk. She plans to begin a residency program in the fall.
“Graduating nursing school during the middle of a pandemic is definitely unique,” she said. “With everything going on with COVID-19, it has not stopped me from wanting to pursue health care.”
Schweiger’s maid of honor told her about the gown giveaway event. Schweiger did not think she would be selected because there are so many women in health care who would apply.
“I thought, ‘What are the odds?'” she said. “Well, the odds are pretty good apparently.”
Schweiger and her fiance got engaged on the front lawn of The Cavalier Hotel last year and plan to get married at the Williamsburg Winery next May. They booked the venue before the pandemic began, but Schweiger said it has been stressful not knowing when it will end. Her mother asked her what her contingency plan is if the pandemic is still raging next spring. Schweiger said she is having a hard time thinking about that possibility as she has been looking forward to her wedding day since her September engagement.
“It is exhausting to even think about it,” she said.
Dress shopping has been especially difficult because bridal shops were closed for several months and now limit how many people can attend, Schweiger said. She understands it is for the best, but she said finding a wedding gown is a special moment meant to be shared with your closest friends and family. She said she feels so honored to receive a free gown.
“In my wildest dreams, I would have my entire bridal party with me when I am dress shopping,” she said. “I can only have one person with me. it is definitely not how I pictured all of this going, but I am so grateful.”
Alissa Skelton, 757-222-5155, alissa.skelton@pilotonline.com.
