NON-âPROFIT TURNS A HOPELESS BRIDE INTO A FAIRYTALE ...
NON-‐PROFIT TURNS A HOPELESS BRIDE INTO A FAIRYTALE PRINCESS
Page after page of gorgeous wedding gowns, tiaras, red-‐carpet hairstyles and Cinderella shoes were too much for the young bride to handle. Kelly Clinton, 20, cried every day of her yearlong engagement about not looking like the bride she envisioned since she was a little girl. But her prayers were answered with the help of A Cinderella Project’s Gowns & Crowns Bridal Fashion Show. Growing up as a homeless child, Clinton often spent her days looking at bridal magazines and dreaming of being a princess on her wedding day. Her only dream was to grow up and be a wedding planner but her family’s lack of funds made it impossible for her to attend college. At 18, her boyfriend, Alex Huttle, proposed and they planned to get married within the next year. Clinton and Huttle immediately got a job at a local McDonalds to save money for her dream wedding, but after one month, Clinton and Huttle lost their jobs due to the tough economy and have been unemployed ever since. “After I lost my job, my dream of a perfect wedding was shattered,” Clinton said. “It was like someone telling me that I didn’t deserve to look beautiful on my wedding day and that was devastating because that’s all I’ve dreamed about my whole life.” With three months before the wedding and no arrangements, Clinton began to think that eloping was the only option and was prepared to get married in jeans and a t-‐ shirt. After seeing a flier for a bridal show sponsored by A Cinderella Project, a local non-‐ profit organization that helps low-‐income brides feel like a princess on their wedding day, a glimmer of hope appeared for Clinton. On Feb. 24, 2011, Clinton attended the Gowns & Crowns Bridal Fashion Show and instantly knew that her dreams were about to come true. After meeting with a consultant, Clinton knew that her prayers had been answered. -‐ more -‐
A Cinderella Project, uses gowns, shoes and accessories graciously donated by brides and beauty services such as hair and makeup donated by local salons to make low-‐ income brides feel like princesses on their wedding day. Located in Houston, Texas, the non-‐profit organization holds an annual fashion show, Gowns & Crowns, to help bride’s pick out their wedding day attire and arrange appointments with beauty professionals. “I walked into the fashion show as a depressed and hopeless bride-‐to-‐be and walked out knowing that I would look and feel like Cinderella,” Clinton said. “Everyone who works at A Cinderella Project is truly a blessing to my life.” Three months later on April 16, Clinton became Mrs. Huttle on what she calls the “happiest day of her life.” Still mesmerized by her wedding photos, Clinton was draped in pearls, which complimented her beaded white wedding gown with a long train that followed her down the aisle. Her perfectly curled hair and breath-‐taking make up, done by a local stylist, made Clinton look as if she belonged on a magazine cover. It’s testimonies like Clinton’s that make Executive Director Madison Longust proud to be part of A Cinderella Project. “[Clinton’s] story makes all of the hard work worth it,” Longust said. “Every woman deserves to feel like a princess on her wedding day and that’s why I started A Cinderella Project.” Clinton’s story is just one of the many dreams that A Cinderella Project is responsible for. For additional information about the organization or to learn how to donate dresses, accessories and beauty services for the 2012 Gowns & Crowns event, visit www.acinderellaproject.org. ###
