As Rachael Laird stood in front of the mirror at Posh Bridal in Lancaster early Monday morning, tears streamed down her face — she had found the wedding dress of her dreams.
Laird, 43, of York, was at the salon as a part of Operation Wedding Gown, a nationwide campaign that gives wedding gowns free of charge to military brides or fiancees of military.
Laird is engaged to Brian Miller, 46, also of York, who is a Wounded Warrior as a retired member of the U.S. Army National Guard.
Posh owner and dress designer Janell Berté partnered with Brides Across America to give away wedding gowns on Veterans Day and provided about 60 dresses from which the brides-to-be could choose.
"What a better way to honor those who serve?" Berté said as she scurried back and forth between the brides, helping them try on and select and try on their gowns.
The gowns were an assortment of styles and sizes donated by Berté and salons with which she has a business relationship.
"There are gowns here that start at $500 and go up into the thousands," Berté said. "But we have taken off all of the price tags, because they are all free today."
It did not take Laird, a machine operator for UTZ, long to find her gown — it was the first one she tried on. Though she did try on a second one to be sure the first was the right one, she said she knew it was "the one" the minute she put it on.
"I just knew for many reasons," Laird said. Her excitement was contagious as others in the salon watched.
Both Laird, who is a two-time breast cancer survivor, and Miller, who lost a part of his leg in the line of duty, have had their share of hardships. This dress-choosing experience — a gesture of gratitude to military personnel — was one Laird said she will cherish.
"It's just so nice to be honored this way," Laird said. "It's hard because a lot of military are on a limited budget and this will help tremendously."
Laird was not the only one to find her gown quickly.
In the fitting room across the salon, Lancaster resident Kelly Miller, 26, was also trying on gowns, accompanied by her mother and sisters, during her hour-long scheduled appointment. Miller's ceremony with her fiancée, Jillian, is scheduled for Oct. 4, and this was the first time she was trying on gowns. A third sister received pictures of Miller's gown choices via text-messaging so that she could be part of the process.
A student at Harrisburg Area Community College, Miller said that her fiancée has been enlisted in the Air Force for 10 years and having the gown donated will help with the costs of their ceremony.
Miller also found her gown quickly and knew she was going to like the dress the moment she saw it hanging on the rack.
"I actually had a nightmare last night that it was the day of the wedding and nothing was done," Miller says holding her chosen dress concealed in a pink bag. "Now I know I have my dress and am so happy. I didn't think I'd find it today, but I love it."
Berté also arranged for representatives from Central Pennsylvania Tuxedo to lend a hand to the grooms during the event.
According to Joey Leon of the tuxedo company, it was offering a free tuxedo to the groom or father-of-the-bride for the wedding day and a military discount to the groomsmen.
"The groom may be wearing his uniform that day, so we extended the offer to the father-of-the-bride," Leon said.
The Reverend Kelly Jo Singleton also was on hand to offer a discount to couples for her officiating services.
Spreading word of the event through newspaper, TV and social media, Berté had 26 brides scheduled for appointment throughout the day and says that the original closing time of 4 p.m. had to be extended until 6 p.m.
"I didn't sleep last night," Berté said. "It's so exciting to be able to honor these women and help them with their wedding costs."
As Laird got ready to leave the bridal salon, Berté shared her thanks for coming to the event.
"You made our morning," Berté said.
"You guys made my life," Laird said, as she gathered up her dress and headed home.
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