One soon realizes, though, that this fairy-tale quality doesn’t come from the dresses; it emanates from Helen herself. “I’ve never been happier. I feel so fulfilled,” said Helen when describing her experience with the Brides’ Project, a socially conscious alternative she created for brides seeking the perfect wedding dress. “I have met so many great people along the way, and I absolutely love what I do.”

Helen founded the Brides’ Project in 2004 as a way to provide brides on a budget with gorgeous wedding gowns, while at the same time helping children and adults with cancer. Helen does this by encouraging dress designers to donate new wedding gowns, which she re-sells at a fraction of the cost. The proceeds are then donated to Helen’s favourite charities, like Camp Quality, a camp for kids with cancer, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and the Canadian Cancer Society.

“Anyone who knew me at Trent would be shocked to find me in the wedding business,” Helen laughed. However, when one considers her passion for supporting her community and highly practical approach to life, Helen’s inspiration for the Brides’ Project makes perfect sense.

“I began this project when I realized how self-indulgent weddings were. It was horrifying to me to see the expectations placed on couples by the wedding industry to spend huge amounts of money,” she explained. “I thought to myself, what would I do if I had $5,000 in my hand? I would give it to charity. Why can't your wedding make a difference while you have that amazing day to share with family and friends? It can happen, and can work towards helping others.”

More than 90 per cent of the gowns Helen receives are new, and the Brides’ Project has become so successful that she doesn’t have to go around asking for donations anymore – the dresses come to her. “I even have new gowns from Vera Wang that retail for $5,000 in the salon,” she noted. The price for a wedding dress at the Brides’ Project ranges from $250 to a maximum of $1,250.

Supporting cancer charities is Helen’s focus because, sadly, she has lost several friends and family members, young and old, to the disease. “Fortunately, the cure rate is going up for youth, but for children affected by cancer, there is nothing that changes their lives more positively than the experiences offered by places like Camp Quality.”

To help put food on her table, Helen taught herself how to make wedding veils by hand, which she sells to clients. Although twice divorced herself, Helen says she is not jaded in the least and loves weddings. “I’m just not good at being married myself,” she smiled.

Helen enjoys weddings so much that in 2007 she became a licensed officiant and has been busy marrying couples ever since. During the wedding season, she performs an average of two ceremonies per week, and approximately half of the weddings she has performed so far this year have been for same-sex couples.

For her remarkable contributions to the community and innovative method of supporting charities, the Trent University Alumni Association honoured Helen in June with the Spirit of Trent award. This annual award is presented to an alumnus/a who is serving in some capacity to make the world a better place and who continues to shine the spirit of Trent in his or her corner of the world.

“The things I learned at Trent are some of the reasons why I’m so damned happy,” said Helen, who was deeply honoured when she learned about the award. “Trent offers a free-thinking environment that lets people learn in their own way. All those seminar classes that are unique to Trent really promote and allow students to share ideas and think broadly while respecting the opinions of others, in contrast to the typical textbook-style learning that other universities focus on. Trent is a very civic-minded institution that encourages you to think about what you can do for your community and to be a part of it.”

With her characteristic sense of humour, she then added “And am I using my psychology degree? I’m dealing with brides every day, so I use my degree on a regular basis!”

Continuously driven by her adventurous spirit to take on new challenges, Helen has a new quest: to work in a developing country with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). After investigating this opportunity for many years, she is considering a placement in India as a Communications Officer with a non-governmental organization. A former management consultant with Hay Group Ltd., Helen is keen to experience life in a new country in a way that enhances her skills and provides new learning opportunities.

The prospect of jumping from the extravagant world of weddings into the fight against global poverty does not faze Helen in the least; in fact, it’s a transition she’s ready for. “I don’t want for anything,” reflected Helen. “I think you lose the need for consumerism when you are truly happy.”

There is certainly no doubt that wherever Helen ends up, she will be living happily ever after.