If you haven’t figured it out yet, we here at Amative Creative are all about celebrating and empowering women. That’s one reason that we were so excited to partner with YWCA of Central Virginia for our February Church Street Bridal showcase.

“For over a hundred years, the YWCA of Central Virginia has been serving the women, children, and families of Central Virginia.  Founded in 1912 by a dedicated group of women, who had incidentally been told that creating an organization for women and by women would never fly, the YWCA of Central Virginia has grown and adapted to meet the varying needs of the communities we serve.”

Some of the YWCA of Central Virginia service programs include a sexual assault response program, a domestic violence prevention program, and a women’s residential housing program. As an outreach of YWCA, Church Street Bridal’s mission is “to change lives one dream at a time”. The organization also financially supports the mission of YWCA of Central Virginia.

We recently [virtually] sat down with Rachel Cantu of Church Street Bridal to talk more about their organization as we reminisced on one of our favorite events of 2021. Read a bit of our interview below.

How long have you been with Church Street Bridal? I have been at CSB since 2014. I am a Church Street Bridal bride since I shopped for my bridal gown (with my fiancé!). I have been a bride, volunteer, and employee!

What made you want to get involved with the YWCA? I loved my experience at CSB and was lucky enough to be able to.

How do events like the one we did this winter help advance the mission of CSB and the YWCA? We get so much business and interest from brides and vendors after large events. It creates an increased energy and enthusiasm for our shop and our mission.

What was your favorite part of the event? Our favorite part was working with all the vendors and photographers. It was so fun to get to know them… Events like this are priceless to CSB. The publicity, images, and name recognition that came from this event is amazing and we are so thankful.

What can people in our community do to get involved in supporting CSB and YWCA? Donate supplies to our DVPP or SARP or our Towns Center Housing program. Volunteer at CSB! Share your photos if you are a #csbbride

Let’s talk about the dresses… what does CSB offer? We offer designer sample gowns from salons all over the country, from size 4 to size 26. If you say “yes” to a dress as CSB, you get to take it with you triumphantly out the door!

What can a bride expect when she comes into CSB? Brides can expect a private and fun 90 minutes at CSB. From the moment you and your bride tribe walk in, the staff at CSB is going to celebrate with you and hype you up! We can’t wait to help you say “yes” to your dream gowns.

Anything else you want our readers to know? We’re appointment only and we book up incredibly quickly.

If you’d like to get involved with helping advance the mission of the YWCA of Central Virginia, be sure to stop by their website for more information. You can book an appointment on their Church Street Bridal page.