BOCA RATON, Fla. & ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kari Curletto of Las Vegas was named the winner of the 13th Annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest presented by Cheap Chic Weddings and Quilted Northern® at today’s design showcase.
Earlier today, ten finalists showcased their work at the contest’s finale event held at Peerspace venue Loft 29. Contestants crafted dresses out of nothing more than Quilted Northern® bath tissue, tape, glue and/or needle and thread, and this year 1,517 entrants were up to the challenge. Representatives from Cheap Chic Weddings and Quilted Northern®, Edward Meyer of Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Mara Urshel, co-owner of Kleinfeld Bridal and Michael Russo, Lifestyle Expert, TV Host and Celebrity Wedding & Party Planner served as judges for this year’s contest to help select the winning designs. Mr. Meyer presented the Ripley’s Fan Favorite Award to Ronaldo Cruz of Chesapeake, Va..
Russo commented “These dresses, with the incredible level of detail and the uniqueness of the design, make them showroom ready.”
Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com, an online company specializing in providing brides with fiscally savvy tips for a fabulous wedding, began the annual contest thirteen 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.
“Although the competition has been going on for more than 13 years, the designers consistently exceed our expectations!” says Laura Gawne, co-founder of Cheap Chic Weddings. “This year’s crop of designs continues to impress and convey what is truly possible when toilet paper is crafted for greatness,” added Susan Bain, Cheap Chic Weddings Co-Founder.
Designers collectively used approximately 250 rolls of Quilted Northern® Ultra Plush and Ultra Soft and Strong bath tissue to craft their one-of-a-kind designs. Quilted Northern® is proud to supply toilet paper that has been crafted with the highest attention-to-detail for over 100 years – making it luxurious enough for a memorable wedding dress but comfortable enough for a forgettable bathroom experience. The Crafted For Greatness campaign illustrating the Quilted Northern® journey can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/hgB6_h_CYp4.
“We were amazed to see how the finalists worked with our meticulously designed Quilted Northern® Bath Tissue to create runway ready, couture craftsmanship,” said Brian Rice, Senior Director, Design & Packaging Innovation for Georgia-Pacific. “While our first foray into fashion may be unexpected, we are excited to put our experience in crafting for comfort in the bathroom to use in this new world.”
Additionally, Quilted Northern® is proud to partner with The Longleaf Alliance and has made a donation to plant one tree for every contestant of this year’s 13th Annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest presented by Cheap Chic Weddings and Quilted Northern®. Maintaining longleaf pine stands is crucial in supporting biologically diverse habitats throughout the southeast, and the Longleaf Alliance is a leader in this effort.
Kari Curletto of Las Vegas won the Grand Prize of $10,000 and was joined at the finale event by nine other contest finalists. The second place winner was Susan Brennan of Detroit received a check for $5,000, third place winner Mimoza Haska of South Carolina received a check for $2,500, and “Fan Favorite” winner Ronaldo Cruz of Chesapeake, Va. received $1000 Sponsored by Ripley’s Believe It or Not!. Photos from the contest can be found at www.cheap-chic-weddings.com, their Facebook and Twitter pages and across the Quilted Northern® brand Facebook and Twitter pages.
About Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com
Cheap Chic Weddings was created 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 thirteenth years ago to connect to their readers beyond the website and book. The inspiration for the creative contest came from the popular wedding shower game.
About Georgia-Pacific
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific® and its subsidiaries are among the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. Our familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, enMotion®, Sparkle®, Mardi Gras®, Vanity Fair®, STAINMASTER® and Dixie®. Its GP Harmon subsidiary is among the world’s largest recyclers of paper, metal and plastics. The company employs approximately 35,000 people directly, and creates nearly 92,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: gp.com.