This shocking bridal show stall reveals the horrors of domestic abuse

Visitors to the Toronto Bridal Show got a harrowing reminder this week that not all marriages end in a happy ever after.

Domestic abuse charity Interval House set up stall at the show with an exhibit created with agency Union. The "Broken Bride Registry" displays fictional products like cigarette burn cream, “jealous rage” bandages, “locked fridge” protein bars and an untraceable cellphone to protect yourself from a controlling spouse. 

Each item contained a barcode and when these items were scanned in the booth, they unlocked real-life stories/videos of domestic abuse. The booth featured scanners that deliberately mimicked the “scanning guns” that people typically use when putting their bridal registry together (at a department store, for example). The aim is to get the prospective bride to either add Interval House to her registry or make a charitable donation on the spot.

“Talking about violence against women is difficult, especially at a happy event like the bridal show, but it’s a conversation that needs to be had,” says Rica Eckersley, creative director at Union.