Brides turn to refurbished wedding dresses in war-scarred Gaza

GAZA - In a small sewing workshop in southern Gaza, Nisreen Al‑Rantisi pulls fabric from a pile and reshapes worn wedding dresses, trying to keep a fading tradition alive amid war and soaring costs.

Families said they have been struggling to find new wedding dresses and many search instead for places that refurbish gowns and other kinds of clothes for their children.

Importers cite delays, high shipping costs, and restrictions on materials, such as the crystals encrusted into the elaborate wedding dresses, as key factors behind the shortages and price hikes.

Many workshops have also been damaged during the conflict.

“We try to reuse the old gowns that we have, produce them by fixing them a bit, work on them, wash them, arrange them, shape them,” said Rantisi, adding that work initially relied on a bicycle-powered sewing machine due to electricity shortages.

Rantisi said she used to buy the fabric for about 120 to 150 shekels ($41 to $51) before the war, but now pays around 500 shekels ($171).

“This has caused a big rise in the cost of bridal dresses and children’s gowns. We are living in a vicious circle from the war that affected us,” she added.

COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls access to Gaza, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Most of Gaza's more than 2 million people have been displaced, many now living in bombed-out homes and makeshift tents pitched on open ground, roadsides, or atop the ruins of destroyed buildings after two years of war with Israel.

HIGH PRICES BEYOND REACH FOR MOST IN GAZA

Despite the hardships, some couples still find ways to celebrate, with mass weddings held in Gaza offering a rare moment of joy amid the devastation.

Shop workers say the war has driven prices beyond reach.

“Before the war, prices were reasonable for everyone,” said Rawan Shalouf, an employee at a bridal shop.

“But now, given the circumstances we’re in, the price of a dress is ridiculous.”

Across Gaza, brides and families are struggling to afford even basic wedding needs. Shahed Fayez, 21, is due to marry in about four days but has been searching in vain for a dress.

“I don’t care about its style, what’s important is that it's new,” she added.

“The cheapest dress is $1,000 or more, that's the minimum, and all we have is less than $200. The entire dowry does not cover the price of a dress.”

-Reporting by Mahmoud Issa and Haseeb Alwazeer in GazaWriting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Sharon Singleton/Reuters