[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9447]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING ENCHANTMENT WEDDING SERVICES

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize 
Enchantment Wedding Services, a small business in my home State of 
Maine that is led by an innovative and caring entrepreneur who is using 
her talents to lighten the burden for those struggling with breast 
cancer.
  Enchantment Wedding Services is the brainchild of Ellie Bowie, a 
notary public who has been officiating wedding ceremonies for over a 
decade. She recently opened a shop on Main Street in Lisbon Falls, 
where she began selling wedding gowns, in addition to offering wedding 
services. Aside from its dresses, Enchantment Weddings sells tiaras, 
gloves, and veils, and Ms. Bowie hopes to soon carry bridesmaid dresses 
at her shop. Enchantment Weddings purchases both new and vintage 
wedding gowns from the Making Memories Foundation, a group that focuses 
on granting the wishes of terminal breast cancer patients, as well as 
providing education about the disease and resources available to these 
patients. The dresses are all elegant Victorian or Edwardian styles, 
many of which were donated to the organization by high-end bridal 
boutiques nationwide.
  Committed to helping the Making Memories Foundation in its efforts, 
Ms. Bowie returns 5 percent of the price of each gown's sale to the 
Brides Against Breast Cancer program, an initiative of the Making 
Memories Foundation that raises money to help breast cancer patients 
and their families. She was inspired to engage in this partnership by 
her grandmother, a breast cancer survivor who lived to be 96, as well 
as a close friend's mother who is fighting the disease.
  What makes Ms. Bowie's business all the more impressive is that it 
is, in essence, her second job. Ms. Bowie works fulltime for a local 
trucking company, and operates Enchantment Weddings during evenings and 
weekends. Ms. Bowie's commitment to her business is remarkable, and her 
passion for making a difference in the lives of the hundreds of 
thousands suffering with this disease is nothing short of inspiring.
  Mr. President, too many women and men will find out this year that 
they have breast cancer. But fortunately for them, our country has 
people like Ellie Bowie, who will ensure that America's greatest 
strengths--its benevolent nature and kindhearted spirit--never fade. I 
thank Ms. Bowie for her thoughtful, creative, and compassionate 
efforts, and wish her and her business the best of success.

                          ____________________