Vincler Crowned Winner of 11th Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest

A total of 10 finalists showcased their work at the contest’s finale event held at Kleinfeld Bridal’s New York City location. Contestants crafted dresses out of nothing more than Charmin toilet paper, tape, glue, and/or needle and thread. And this year, 1,498 entrants were up to the challenge. 

Celebrity weddings and events planner, Michael Russo, along with Kleinfeld Bridal co-owner Mara Urshel, were in attendance to help select the winning designs. "I have planned many high-profile weddings, and at each, the dress is always the show-stopper," says Russo. "These gowns made from Charmin toilet paper are no exception and the level of detail the finalists brought to the table this year is stunning. I can’t wait to see the winning dress brought to life in a ready-to-wear design!" 

Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com, which operates as a money-saving website for brides-to-be, began the annual contest 11 years ago based on the popular bridal shower game. As the contest has increased in popularity from year to year, so has the level of competition. "Each year our contest gets bigger and better," said Laura Gawne, co-founder of Cheap Chic Weddings. "We are continuously amazed by the great designs and love seeing the creative talents of each contestant come to life." 

This marks the fifth year Charmin has partnered with Cheap Chic Weddings by providing coupons to help cover the cost of purchasing Charmin toilet paper used in creating each dress. Designers used between two and 40 rolls of Charmin Basic, Charmin Ultra Soft, Charmin Ultra Strong, and even a vintage Charmin product from the 1970s.

"We always look forward to seeing Charmin’s strong and soft qualities being showcased in such a unique way," said Eric Breissinger, VP, North America Family Care, Procter & Gamble. "Congratulations to Donna Pope Vincler and all of the finalists." 

Donna Pope Vincler won the Grand Prize of $10,000 and was joined at the finale event by the other nine contest finalists. Runner-up Mimoza Haska from Myrtle Beach, S.C., received a check for $5,000, and third place winner Carol Touchstone from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., received a check for $2,500. Photos http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com from the contest can be found at, their Facebook and Twitter pages and across Charmin’s Facebook and Twitter pages. 

Cheap Chic Weddings was created back in 2003 to help couples have the wedding of their dreams regardless of their budget. Their mission is to enable couples-to-be to "have a cheap wedding that looks like a million bucks." The company started the Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest to connect to its readers beyond the website and book.