An Alabama woman who bought a dress worth more than $6,000 at Goodwill for $25 is now engaged and knows exactly what to wear to her wedding.
Emmali Osterhoudt, a nursing student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, visited a Goodwill store in Green Springs, Alabama, on Labor Day, hoping to find picture frames for her apartment. She found a stunning wedding dress in her size in the half-price section and scored a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
Upon later research, she learned that the dress was from designer Galia Lahav and was worth $6,200. Lahav is a popular brand worn by Beyoncé, Simone Biles, Paris Hilton and Ronda Rousey. She shared her excitement on TikTok in a video detailing the shocking discovery.
Proposed after three years at Buckingham Palace
Nicholas Gould, Osterhoudt's boyfriend of three years, proposed to her on Monday during a visit to Buckingham Palace and she said yes.
She plans to wear the Lahav dress to her wedding, something she had been planning to do since she bought it for $25.
“I have always been very interested in weddings and wedding dresses in fashion. And one thing that worried me was whenever it was.” [that] I got engaged and was worried I wouldn't find a dress I liked. because my wedding budget wouldn't be huge,” she told USA TODAY on Friday. “When I went to Goodwill and found this and absolutely loved it, it was a pretty easy decision for me to make.”
Osterhoudt said she plans to keep the dress forever because of its sentimental value.
Wedding set for summer 2025
A date for the wedding has been set: June 6, 2025, said Osterhoudt.
Osterhoudt, who will complete her nursing degree next summer, said she wanted to guarantee enough time for her wedding and graduation. She also wanted to have enough time to plan the rest of her look.
“I'm hoping my hair will get a little longer by then, but that's pretty much all I know,” Osterhoudt said.
She added that things have calmed down since the viral attention of her TikTok video, which has now garnered over 5 million views.
“I was so grateful for the love people showed in the comments section,” Osterhoudt told USA TODAY in September. “Usually when videos go viral you get a few nasty comments, but I've received mostly love.”
Contributor: Doc Louallen
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