Newly Engaged Woman Walks Into Goodwill, Finds Wedding Dress for Just $20

A bride-to-be has told Newsweek how she was left stunned when she stumbled upon an almost-perfect wedding dress for just $20 at her local Goodwill.

Jaycie Lane Tungett is a youth group leader from South Mississippi, and during a playful outing with the church youth group, she found the amazing gown. “We took our girl students to Goodwill to pick out ‘crazy outfits’ to go bowling in. As we were looking, I found the dress,” Tungett said.

An elegant white gown, the dress fit her perfectly—a rarity for Tungett, who is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and often struggles to find clothes that don’t require alterations. “I was in shock that it fit me perfectly,” Tungett said. “Being 5 feet, 2 inches and having no torso, almost everything I buy has to be altered.”

Even more incredible was the price tag, with the dress being on sale for just $20. This is a far cry from what of the average wedding dress cost in 2023, according to The Knot Real Weddings study; this was around $2,000. Despite the expense, 98 percent of brides still said they wore a dress on their wedding day, proving it remains the most popular choice.

To Buy or Not To Buy?

Despite the dress being such a wonderful fit, Tungett made a split-second decision not to leave the Goodwill store with the gown. “I did not buy it … and now I’m regretting it big time!” she said, adding that she is considering going back to the store to see if the dress is still available.

Tungett captured the discovery in a video that has now been viewed more than 5.5 million times. “When I found out someone had recorded my reaction, I knew I wanted to post it. Being newly engaged, I have already had to learn super quickly how expensive planning a wedding is. So, finding that dress for $20 was a big deal to me,” Tungett said.

In the comments section, some fellow brides shared their stories of their own secondhand dream dress.

CC Dill wrote: “Mine came from Salvation Army. It was my dream dress.”

“Omg [oh my God] I did this and it ended up being my wedding dress!!! Best thing ever,” viewer Carly posted, while Amanda commented: “I got my dress at the Salvation Army after I bought one at David’s Bridal. Paid $25. It was brand-new. Looked it up online, $1,200 dress.”

A thrift store, Common Threads Thrift, added: “Love to see it! We get in beautiful wedding dresses and formal gowns at Common Threads from time to time! It’s so cool to see others finding great dresses too.”