Bride Thrifts 'Timeless' Dream Wedding Dress for Just $25: 'I Immediately Knew It Was the One' (Exclusive)
"Since I was a little girl, I had dreamed of wearing a wedding dress that made me feel like a princess, and this dress did that for me," the bride tells PEOPLE
Julia Stern Webber and Michael Webber tied the knot on Dec. 22 at Casa Feliz in Winter Park, Florida
A year before the big day, the bride stumbled upon her "dream come true" wedding dress at a local thrift store — and it was priced at only $25
"Many tears were shed because the dress perfectly embodied my personality and vision for the wedding day," the bride tells PEOPLE
A bride thrifted her dream wedding dress for only $25!
Before Julia Stern Webber and Michael Webber, both 26 years old, exchanged "I dos" at their black-tie optional wedding at the historic Casa Feliz in Winter Park, Florida, on Dec. 22, they had to find something to wear for their walk down the aisle.
Julia never expected to purchase her gown from a thrift store for the price of two movie tickets, but that's exactly what happened almost a year ago from her wedding date.
The then-bride-to-be walked into her local thrift store, Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation Resale Shop in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 30, 2023, and saw the perfect wedding dress just hanging on one of the racks.
"I had tried on many dresses at boutiques and always knew I wanted something more simple but timeless," she tells PEOPLE. "When I saw this dress in the thrift store, I immediately knew it was the one."
As luck would have it, the "timeless, elegant, and a dream come true" dress was a perfect fit.
"I would have been so disappointed if I had found my dream dress in the thrift store and it didn’t fit — thankfully it was perfect!" Julia continues. "The dress had the original tag on it, and attachment underneath to give it more volume, and it fit like a glove."
The vintage white dress has a scoop-neck neckline, swirling sequin details and a gathered fit-and-flare puffy skirt. On the back is an oversized draping bow.
"I was obsessed with the subtle details in the beading and the drop waist design," Julia says. "I especially loved the bow on the back because it reminded me of my mother’s wedding dress. Since I was a little girl, I had dreamed of wearing a wedding dress that made me feel like a princess, and this dress did that for me."
Julia recalls stepping out of the fitting room to show her sisters, mother and mother-in-law the dress, and everyone agreed it was made for her.
"We all knew this was the perfect dress," Julia says. "I actually hadn’t even checked the price tag until we knew this was the one. All of our jaws dropped to the floor when we realized it was only $25, we couldn’t believe our eyes."
The only alteration made to the dress was slight tailoring of the straps. Then it was off to the dry cleaners to get professionally cleaned and pressed before the big day.
Moments captured by a team from Author Made Photo and Video — including photographer Angelika Krug Shannon, videographer Rob Shannon and assistant Michael Kuo — show just how happy Julia was in her dress at her wedding.
"The groom was in tears when he saw me in my wedding dress during our first look, he said it couldn’t have been more perfect," Julia says of Michael's reaction.
The couple met during their freshman year of high school in 2012, according to their wedding website. Almost 11 years later, on May 19, 2023, Michael popped the question on a balcony in Florence, Italy, during their European summer vacation.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Related: Couple Gets Married in Ketchup-Themed Wedding: See all the Condiment Décor Details! (Exclusive)
Wedding guests were just as in awe of Julia's dress as her groom was.
"My guests told me that I looked like a princess," the bride adds. "Many tears were shed because the dress perfectly embodied my personality and vision for the wedding day. Some of my friends even called the event 'their royal wedding' after seeing me in the dress."
Her dress was far from the only thing thrifted for the "special and unique" wedding. Additional thrifted items included: the bride's getting ready outfit, her Jimmy Choo bridal shoes, the maids of honor dresses, mother of the bride dress, mother of the groom dress, rehearsal dinner dress, vintage cake topper, bar napkins, napkin rings, autograph book, pen holder, frames for memorial photos, boxes for toiletries, bridesmaid gifts of vintage robes and purses, postcards for the dinner menu to be written on the backside and the groom's rehearsal dinner Yves Saint Laurent tie.
In a special touch, the bride paired her wedding dress with a cathedral veil sewn by her grandmother, who used lace from Julia's mother's 1995 wedding dress.
Read the original article on People
