These ‘brides’ just want to have fun—and spoof the state of marriage

A bevy of brides clustered at the foot of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church at Washington Square Park on Saturday. But while their gowns may have taken a trip—or two—down the aisle, this group wasn’t headed toward the altar.

The eclectic crew of Bay Area residents donning secondhand veils and trains was assembled for a performative procession and pub crawl down Columbus Avenue—an annual San Francisco rite of spring known as the Brides of March.

Since the late ’90s (excluding two pandemic years), the zany gathering of people dressed in pre-owned bridal couture has taken over the streets of the city to spoof the opulence of Western wedding traditions and comment on the consumerist mindset of marriage. Also, to get dressed up and day-drink.

According to Brides of March’s origin story, the annual tradition began after Michele Michele, a member of San Francisco’s legendary band of merry pranksters known as the Cacophony Society, saw loads of wedding dresses weighing down a local thrift store rack. Michele decided that a creative public gathering might give the gowns a second life—”or third or fourth or fifth adventure” in the words of current Brides of March organizer Jenneviere Villegas.

“Used wedding dresses are kind of strange creatures,” Villegas said. “So it’s sort of like being able to take these one-use items that people, for whatever reason, have given to a thrift store and turn them into something that has more adventures.”

But more than commentating on the state of marriage, the kooky event, which Villegas describes as “half street art and half pub crawl,” is just another opportunity for San Francisco to fly its freak flag.

“It’s a lot of fun and just one of those bastions of, like, weird San Francisco culture,” Villegas said.