The sign over the door says bridal. Walk past the wedding racks, though, and there is a whole department with its own name, its own consultants and its own appointment type. Downtown Bridal calls that side of the business Downtown Prom, and for families on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore a gown, a fitting and a date's tuxedo can all be handled there by the same staff. The shop sits in the Shoppers Center in Salisbury, and every visit is booked ahead.
Let us help make your school dances the most memorable night of them all. Our Downtown Prom team is here to help you find the perfect prom dress or suit that reflects your style and the latest trends.
In that line, the word that stands out is "suit." Downtown Prom plans for both people in the photo.
The gowns, the suite and the consultants
Booking a prom appointment reserves a dressing suite and a consultant just for you, for the length of the visit. The shop works by appointment only. Once you are there, the consultant pulls from the prom stock, and these are the labels named for prom:
- Sherri Hill
- Alyce Paris
- Amarra
- Faviana
- Ellie Wilde
- Aerie Couture
- Lucci Lu
- Sydney's Closet
The store carries more labels than these, and between its designers and private labels it holds thousands of dress options. Sydney's Closet is a label built around fuller figures.
The store keeps the tone light. At DTB, it says, the goal is "good vibes, great style," and helping you shine, whether the look you have in mind is full glam, sleek and modern, or something nobody expects. Consultants also handle the finishing pieces, including shoes, jewelry and headpieces.
Homecoming
Homecoming dresses are part of the stock
Pageant
The store carries pageant dresses too
Gala and special occasion
A separate appointment for a gala, a work dinner or another social event, usually about an hour
Tuxedos for the date, sewn hems for the gown
The menswear department is not an afterthought. Downtown Bridal rents and sells tuxedos and suits to prom attendees.
Menswear department
Tuxedos and suits for prom
Labels
Ted Stanford, Mark of Distinction and Larr Brio
Sizing
Boys' sizes up through men's 34 to 72, in short, regular and long
Custom orders
Taken above size 70
Extras
Vests, tie bars, cuff links, pocket squares, dress shoes and socks
Alterations are done on site by the store's own seamstresses, and prom dresses are a regular part of their work. For prom, that means hems, strap adjustments, and taking seams in or letting them out. Two things help the calendar run smoothly:
The seamstresses alter items bought at the store, and prom customers do best coming in for alterations as soon as they have their shoes.
How long the work takes depends on how full the alterations queue is. The bench itself has a lovely pedigree for a bridal shop.
Owner Maria Demetriou is the master seamstress and goes by "The Wedding Dress Doctor." She has spent more than two decades in the bridal industry and sits on the executive board of the National Bridal Retailers Association.
Events round out the year. The shop runs workshops and social events for its whole clientele, and prom attendees are part of that mix.
Salisbury and the schools around it
Salisbury is the shopping hub for a wide stretch of the peninsula. Wicomico County's high schools include James M. Bennett, Parkside and Wicomico High in Salisbury plus Mardela Middle and High in Mardela Springs. Stephen Decatur High is in Berlin in Worcester County, and Delmar High sits just across the Delaware line. Salisbury University and Wor-Wic Community College are in the city as well.
A Garden Suite for brides and an hour set aside for moms
Wedding gowns hang in sizes 0 to 34 off the rack. The bridal designers the store names include Maggie Sottero, Sophia Tolli, La Femme and Martin Thornburg. A standard bridal appointment runs one hour and 45 minutes with a dedicated consultant and up to four guests. The Garden experience runs two to three hours for up to six guests and adds wedding cake samples, florals, refreshments and gifts for the bride, and the after-hours Platinum experience runs three hours for up to eight. The store's Signature Garden Suite is a light-filled room dressed with greenery and florals.
Mothers of the bride and groom have their own one-hour appointment, with up to three guests. The store names House of Wu and Moncheri for mothers' gowns, and the appointment covers formal gowns and plus-size dresses.
Downtown Prom questions from Salisbury families
Which dresses do the seamstresses alter?
Items purchased at Downtown Bridal, so a gown from another shop will need an outside seamstress. If the gown comes from here, bring your shoes to the first fitting.
Can the prom appointment include a suit for my date?
The prom appointment covers dresses or suits, and the tuxedo department handles rentals and purchases for prom.