RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Dozens of teachers and school staff arrived at the Regent in Riverview to pick up their free wedding dress.
Jenna Rose is a fourth grade elementary school teacher in Hillsborough County.
She will get married in Oct. 2022. On Monday, she picked up her free dress.
"It fit like a glove, it fit perfectly," Rose said. "The only thing I need to do is fix the sleeve because it is a little too long. It's just amazing how perfectly everything worked out."
The CEO of the Regent, Shannon Keil, and the owner of Satin and Lace Bridal Boutique, Alison Farnan, hosted a dress giveaway. Last year, the ladies gave out free dresses to first responders. This year, they gave teachers or school staff an opportunity to receive a dress. Keil and Farnan took nominations until April and selected the recipients.
"It's awesome because every dress has a story. We knew it. The story has started. It begun. You would think it would be ending, but this is the beginning. They all get to plan that wedding or have that wedding and start that life," said Shannon Keil, CEO of the Regent.
Farnan donated dozens of sample dresses. She said it was rewarding to see the look on the face of a bride-to-be.
"To actually see their faces light up when they actually came in and saw the dresses they got to choose from was pretty amazing," she said.
Rose said she got to share the shopping experience with her class.
"I got to dress up and my kids were able to be there and share that moment with me which was really awesome," Rose said. "To have the appreciation for us as educators to be acknowledged like just a tremendous amount, I'm speechless every time I think about it."
Teacher appreciation week runs from Monday, May 2 until Friday, May 6.
