On a road trip to California three years ago, my friends and I stopped at the St. George Deseret Industries to stretch our legs and do some shopping. When we walked into the store, I saw a beautiful wedding gown hanging against the wall. I was in my 50s and single—I wasn’t even dating anyone and had no marriage plans at all. However, I’m six feet tall, and it can be tricky to find things that are long enough for my height. This dress looked like it might be the right length. I immediately took my cart across the store to check it out.

I pulled the dress off the rack, and it just happened to be my exact size. It only cost $50, so I figured I might as well try it on. It was a perfect fit! I thought, “Well, why not?” and paid $50 for the dress.

When I got back home one week later, I took the dress out of the bag and admired it again. It was very well made, with nice fabric, lace, and hand beading. I searched online and was shocked to find out that the dress would have cost $3,000 if purchased new. I hung the dress in the back of my closet. Time went on, and I forgot all about it.

The next year, my church congregation was reorganized, and I started attending church with a new group of people. On my first Sunday in my new ward, I met my future husband. I made a few jokes, and he thought I was hilarious. He knew right away that he wanted to get to know me better. I had no idea my life was about change, but over the next little while, we fell in love and got engaged.

When we started making wedding plans, I remembered the DI wedding gown in the back of my closet. I had to make a few minor adjustments to the gown—adding lace sleeves, altering the neckline, sewing a few additional beads to the hem where some were missing—but I was soon on my way to becoming a June bride.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a thrift store shopper. I just love old things, and thrift stores are the best and most affordable place to find vintage items. In addition to my wedding dress being from a thrift store, we used a lot of secondhand items for decor at our reception. As a long-time thrift shopper, I used a lot of items I’d purchased secondhand from over the years. Not everything we decorated with was purchased from a thrift store—some of it we borrowed from friends—but most items were things anyone could easily find at Deseret Industries.

My husband said, “You’ve been preparing for this wedding your whole life with all your old stuff!” He was exactly right. I was thrilled with the outcome, and everyone is still talking about our fun reception two years later.

I still love going to Deseret Industries. It gives me the thrill of shopping without the huge expense, and we have many, many secondhand items that enhance the happiness and warmth in our home. Deseret Industries is fun to visit, and you never know—you might just find the perfect wedding dress!

(Photo credit: Lihne Dhu Photo Vision)

Cindy Garrard is a long-time DI shopper and vintage item collector. When Cindy isn’t traveling, throwing parties, or watching movies, she is usually sewing. She and her husband live in Salt Lake City, Utah.