Woman finds 'gorgeous' $6K designer wedding gown for $25 at op shop

In what can only be described as a thrift store fairytale, an American woman has purchased a $6K designer wedding gown for only $25 dollars at her local op shop—and she's not even getting married.

Emmali Osterhoudt struck gold during a routine visit to her local Goodwill, stumbling upon an exquisite wedding gown on the rack. The Alabama woman paid $25 for the dress, despite not being engaged or having a wedding on the horizon.

What Ms Osterhoudt didn't know at the time was that the dress was no ordinary find; it turned out to be a Galia Lahav couture creation valued at at over $6K.

"I’m making this video because today I found my wedding dress at Goodwill for $25, and it fits me like a glove. It's gorgeous," she said in the clip. "I found it online, and the original price is like $6,200. It’s by Galia Lahav."

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Popular among celebrity brides, Galia Lahav gowns have been worn by A-listers like Paris Hilton, Beyonce and Olympian Simone Biles, to name a few.

Ms Osterhoudt couldn't resist sharing the remarkable discovery on TikTok, where she flaunted the gown's lace, pearl, and rhinestone embellishments while sharing the incredible story behind it.

The clip quickly went viral, racking up 3.1M views, with many users absolutely astounded she had discovered a designer gown at Goodwill, with one person even dubbing her "the chosen one."

"As someone who has worked in bridal for 9 years and still has never seen a Galia Lahav in person, my jaw is on the FLOOR," one person replied to the post, before calling the purchase "the find of a LIFETIME!"

Another user chimed in, "I’m a bridal stylist, and let me tell you.. YOU HIT THE JACKPOT"

In a subsequent video, Ms. Osterhoudt addressed the unexpected popularity of her post, and reflected on how the remarkable find unfolded.

Initially, she had entered the store with the intention of searching for picture frames for an upcoming gallery wall project.

"I had already checked out, I was about to leave and I saw a section that we hadn’t hit," she recounted, explaining how the stunning gown came into her life. "And so we went over there and boom, it was beautiful and it was there."

Her realisation of the gown's significance only came later when she noticed the Galia Lahav label and decided to look up the prestigious Israeli wedding brand online.

Naturally, people were curious about why Osterhoudt purchased a wedding dress when she wasn't engaged. She clarified, "Even if I never planned on getting married, I probably would have still bought that dress just because of the value. I could have resold it if I wanted to for such an amazing price."

Despite receiving numerous enquiries and direct messages from people interested in buying the dress, Osterhoudt said she had no intentions of parting with her Goodwill gown.

"I do not plan on selling it," she affirmed, adding, "I do plan on wearing it on my wedding day whenever that time comes. Hopefully, I’ll still be able to fit in it by then."

She also dismissed concerns about any negative energy associated with the dress due to its previous owner's decision to donate it.

"Will I clean it with sage to get the bad juju out? I will not," Osterhoudt remarked. "I don’t really believe in superstitions like that. I think beautiful things can come from bad situations, and I do think that this dress might have actually been God’s plan or fate."

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