Links to wedding and bridal stores in Nova Scotia. Find wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses, special occasion styles. Cape Breton bride living in Fort McMurray overwhelmed by dress donations Élise Boissonneault's wedding dress was destroyed in wildfire, Halifax friend turns to social media for help By Lisa Blackburn, CBC News Posted: May 06, 2016 1:11 PM AT Last Updated: May 06, 2016 2:26 PM AT Fort McMurray bride loses wedding dress in wildfire, Torontonians step in to help A Cape Breton woman says both Maritimers and Torontonians really stepped up to help after her wedding gown was destroyed in the Fort McMurray wildfire earlier this week. Élise Boissonneault is originally from Sydney and now lives in Fort McMurray. She was getting ready to leave for Toronto for her wedding when the evacuation orders were issued and she had to flee the Alberta city. "I was ready for the wedding. I already had bags semi-packed, so I was able to bring some of my stuff, but then this happened and it's just unreal," she told CBC's Maritime Noon.

Wedding dress at seamstress' home Boissonneault's gown was being altered at her seamstress' home and there was no time to retrieve it. "I'm being told that part of town has been burned, so I don't expect to see it," she said. Élise Boissonneault at a Toronto dress store with the first of two wedding gowns she will have on her wedding day. (Wild Eyed Photography/Alex Neary) Boissonneault landed in Toronto stressed and without a gown. That's when her friend back in Halifax, Alana Ritter, stepped in. "I made it my mission to do what I could do to help her out. I just posted an ad on Facebook," Ritter said. 'So many generous offers' The post read: "I know it's a long shot, looking for a cheap one or even just to borrow as she now has nothing. She would obviously prefer not to get married in jeans but that may be the only option." Ritter was overwhelmed with the response. "My phone was going crazy for a few hours," she said. "Offers of dresses to borrow, and for free, it went crazy."

Boissonneault was equally surprised. Élise Boissonneault in the second gown donated for her wedding. "I thought she was going to ask a couple of friends maybe, if they had a spare dress kicking around, I didn't expect that," she laughed. "I didn't think she'd post it all over social media." Ritter said time was of the essence as any dress they got in Halifax would have to be in the hands of Boissonneault's parents before they left for Toronto Thursday afternoon. "I knew Maritimers are a very giving people anyway, I knew somebody would come forward so I thought, 'I'll get what I can and meet her parents at the airport and shoot it off,' but there were so many generous offers," she said. As word spread through the wedding industry, a Toronto dress shop, Lee-Ann Belter Bridal, stepped forward and offered a free gown. On Thursday, Boissonneault ended up with not one, but two dresses for her big day. "There were two dresses I was torn between and they said, 'Just take them both, you can have one for the ceremony and one for the reception,' and I'm just blown away by that as well," she said.

In total, more than 100 dresses were offered by people, as well as other free services, from hairstyling to jewelry. Boissonneault has since heard that her home in Fort McMurray is OK. That will be one less thing to worry about as she gets married on Toronto Island on Saturday.Guarana Powder Weight Loss Breaking updates on the Fort McMurray wildfireTeddy Bear Puppies Barking Stay Connected with CBC NewsPond Vacuum Cleaners Uk Severe weather warnings or watches in effect for: Latest Nova Scotia News Headlines Traffic stop leads to arrest of alleged thief What's Greenpeace doing in Halifax? Photographer captures 'the heart' of Yarmouth NATO warships in Halifax ahead of Canadian-led exercise Customers say Air Miles explanation for hiding rewards 'doesn't add up'

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"many brides are now asking themselves why the groom gets to rent his tux while the bride shells out the big bucks for her dress"..The decision to rent a wedding dress has become a popular option for many brides around the globe, particularly in places such as Europe and China. In Canada and North America in general, the decision to purchase a wedding gown for keeps has been a long-held tradition; but times are changing, and wedding retailers are also changing to meet the needs of the modern bride. The first and most obvious reason to rent a wedding gown rather than purchase one is the cost-savings. With the average bridal gown in Canada retailing at $1,000 (not including accessories such as a veil, headpiece, crinoline, shoes, etc.) many brides are now asking themselves why the groom gets to rent his tux while the bride shells out the big bucks for her dress. Renting a wedding gown may also be a more practical decision if the bride and groom are foregoing a ceremony in favour of something more simple, or just don't have the room to preserve and store a gown only worn on one day.

Although many boutiques that offer wedding gown rentals will advertise the rental fee of their wedding accessories, most do not quote the rental price for individual wedding dresses on their website. They will typically encourage the bride to check out their selections online and email them for a quote which includes the style number of the dress and the bride's dress size. Some boutiques also require the bride to rent a gown in order to also take advantage of their accessory rental options.To save you the research time, I've profiled three wedding boutiques in Canada that offer wedding gown and accessory rentals. 3965 St. Martin Blvd W. Laval, Quebec H7T 1B7 Montreal's La Belle Mariée carries a fantastic selection of wedding gowns, including plus-sized gowns for the full-figured bride. La Belle Mariée's cost for wedding gown rentals ranges from $250-$650. For a quote on renting a gown such as the one featured in the photo above (a1772), contact them with your size and the style number of the gown.

5359 Dundas St. West. Etobicoke, ON, Canada, M9B 1B1 566A Sheppard Av. West Toronto, ON, M3H 2R9With boutiques located in Toronto and Etobicoke, GTA's Best for Bride offers wedding gowns and a wide variety of wedding day accessories for rent. Wedding gown rentals start at $150, while gloves and tiara rentals start at only $20. Best for Bride also has a combined rental special, which features all bridal accessories - including veil, crinoline, tiara, jewelry set, headpieces, gloves, fur cape and shawl for only $100. All of the gowns from the Bridal Collections on Best for Bride's website, such as the dress featured in this photo (Mori Lee - Style 2315) are available for rent. Email them with the collection name and style number of the dress as well as your size for a quote. Miracles Etc, an online gown rental store Online boutique, Miracles Etc offers brides wedding gown rentals with accessories included, from $250 up to $600. You can also rent headpieces such as veils and tiaras separately, starting at only $20.