Hundreds brave the cold for low-priced wedding dresses at Charlotte Goodwill

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Nichole Broadway woke up at 4 a.m., then waited in the cold for hours for the Goodwill Opportunity Campus on Wilkinson Boulevard to open its doors.

Her goal: find a wedding dress that fits her personality without breaking the bank.

The mission: accomplished.

“I got dress and shoes for $43,” Broadway said. “I picked out a couple different ones, then I saw this one and knew that was the one.”

Broadway wasn’t alone.

Hundreds lined up for their choice of more than 2,400 dresses, marked as low as $25.

That’s a stark contrast from the more than $1,500 the average bride spends, according to the wedding website The Knot.

Goodwill’s popup included dresses for brides, bridesmaids and flower girls, menswear, jewelry, shoes and accessories.

Ashley Helton left work so she could wait in line when the doors opened at 9 a.m.

She wasn’t picky about style, but wanted to save some money.

“I think this is a real cool opportunity for some that may not have the money, or some that just don’t want to spend the money,” Helton said.

Women left the store with all varieties of wedding dresses, from ball gowns to mermaid to sheath.

But for the most part, they shared the emotion Broadway felt after 20 minutes of shopping.

“I’m super excited,” she said.

Copyright 2020 WBTV. All rights reserved.