Sarah Lauer was 20 years old in 2001 when she bought a house in Mount Pleasant that needed a complete renovation and turned it into a dress shop. The plan, as the shop tells it, was a picturesque bridal boutique in the heart of a small town. Bridal still matters here. But prom is where the store has built its national name, and in season the showrooms fill with high school shoppers working through racks of gowns under stage lighting.
Sarah's Bridal Gallery sits one block off the downtown square in Mount Pleasant, the Henry County seat, where U.S. 34 and U.S. 218 cross in southeast Iowa. The shop presents itself as Iowa's #1 Bridal and Prom boutique, and the owners write that they are honored to be one of the Top 10 Prom stores in the country. It also has multiple showrooms totaling more than 5,500 square feet, over 1,000 gowns and cocktail dresses, and professional stage lighting set aside for prom and special occasions.
The original vision was bridal, and Sarah built the early business by hand-selecting wedding gowns for quality and modern design. That habit of choosing every style carries onto the prom floor, which leans toward what is current. The store even publishes a prom trend guide.
A prom floor built for comparison
The designer list is long. The store names Sherri Hill, Jovani, Johnathan Kayne, ASHLEYlauren, Amarra, Rachel Allan, Ellie Wilde, MoriLee and Madison James. It also stocks exclusive, one-of-a-kind dresses in the store.
Having that many labels in one building changes the way a visit goes. A shopper can try a fitted Sherri Hill, a softer Ellie Wilde and a heavily beaded Jovani back to back, under the same lights, and see which one actually works on her rather than guessing from photos. A personal stylist stays with each customer, and the shoe and jewelry departments mean the heels and earrings can be chosen while the gown is still on.
Prom sizes
00 to 26
- 00
- 0
- 2
- 4
- 6
- 8
- 10
- 12
- 14
- 16
- 18
- 20
- 22
- 24
- 26
00 to 26 in the store, with special orders up to 30 from select designers.
New lines
All new prom lines are in by January.
Appointments
Not required for prom, homecoming, Vice Versa, winter formals or military ball.
Duplicates
Gowns are registered by style number and color to your school.
Alterations
Handled by a small group of outside seamstresses who sew only for the store's customers.
Rentals
No rentals or consignment; every gown is new.
A few more details help with planning. Sales are final once a size has been chosen, which the store notes is the industry standard, so the staff will work through sizing with you before the order is placed. The store will check stock over the phone. Every purchase carries Iowa's 7 percent sales tax, out-of-state shoppers included.
Who makes the trip
Mount Pleasant Community High School is the hometown school, and its students have the shortest drive. The store's real reach is the whole southeast corner of the state. Fairfield High School is a straight run west on U.S. 34, Burlington High School sits to the east along the same highway, and Washington High School and Fort Madison High School are in the same orbit. For many of those families, the trip means a full afternoon in the showrooms that ends with a dress registered to the school before anyone heads home.
The staff matter here too. Deb, who joined the team in 2010, came to the store after cosmetology school and clothing retail, and she says she has a niche for properly fitting tuxedos. Groom tuxedos, flower girl dresses and a full bridal salon round out the business.
The registry is the part of the business that Sarah's has turned into a name. It has a slogan, a capitalized pun and a promise stated in so many words.
No two alike with Sarah’s PROMise….we won’t sell the same dress in the same color to you school!!!!
Sarah’s Bridal Gallery
What Mt. Pleasant shoppers ask Sarah's
When should I shop at Sarah's for prom?
The store says all of its new prom lines arrive by January and suggests shopping early to get your favorite dress before it is registered to someone else at your school.
Does Sarah's alter prom dresses?
Not in the building. It works closely with a handful of seamstresses who alter only for Sarah's customers, and the customer covers the cost of the work.