Local wedding boutique makes plans to donate dresses to those in need around the world

HUNTERTOWN, Ind. (WPTA) - A local wedding boutique designed to help those financially struggling, is hoping to ship dresses outside of Indiana.

Heather Krempel and her mom founded "From This Day Forward" eight years ago after their friends felt they did not have the funds for a traditional wedding.

"We offered to just use whatever was left from my wedding, so they could still have that celebration," Krempel said.

From there, they opened the boutique to give brides felt they would never be able to afford a wedding, their "happily ever after."

They receive donations from the community and other bridal stores to allow them to sell their dresses at a low price.

Unlike other boutiques, their staff is all volunteer. "We have no paid staff," Krempel said. "Sometimes the hours feel really long and the work feels really hard."

But Krempel said they receive payment in other ways.

They are now hoping to help around the world.

They are partnering with an organization in Haiti to send dresses to brides who cannot afford them, so they can have a proper celebration.

"The feast is very important to host that wedding," Krempel said. "It's not as simple as just go to the courthouse and get married."

Along with this, they are hoping to send dresses to brides whose gowns were destroyed in the recent hurricane storms in the south.

Sending such large dresses, comes with its challenges.

"We certainly have plenty of wedding gowns here," Krempel said. "We're sorting through them trying to find which ones are the lightest because shipping is expensive."

They are currently raising money to send their dresses out.

If you would like to donate, you can do so here .

Krempel hopes to have all funds by mid-November.