Amy Steed Heard owns and runs Once Upon a Dress, a Ridgeland shop in the Trace Station shopping center on Highway 51. Her store sells prom gowns first, with pageant, homecoming and special-occasion formals right behind, and it does something many shoppers end up hunting for separately in April: it offers alterations on every formal dress it sells.
That detail shapes the whole visit. A senior can pick a Sherri Hill gown in March, book the hem and fit with the same shop, and pick it up ready to wear without a second stop at a seamstress across town. The store asks for one thing at the hemming appointment: bring the exact heels you will wear to the dance, since the length has to be set to them.
The formal side of the store
The FAQ names Sherri Hill, Johnathan Kayne and Ashley Lauren as the core formalwear designers, and the brand pages on the website add Jovani, Portia & Scarlett, Rachel Allan, Ava Presley, Jessica Angel, Cinderella Divine and Sydney's Closet. Recent new arrivals on the homepage included Sherri Hill and Ashley Lauren prom styles, and the site posts size charts for each of the main labels so shoppers can check fit before they come in.
The About page describes a large selection of prom, pageant, homecoming and special-occasion dresses. If the gown a shopper loves is not on the rack in her size, the staff can check availability with the designer and order it, and they will take measurements to compare against the designer's chart when the size is in doubt.
The store does not rent formal dresses, and the FAQ leaves no room for exceptions on that point.
Unfortunately, we do not rent no matter the circumstance.
A family setting a prom budget should plan around that answer from the shop's FAQ. Every gown here is a purchase.
Everything else on the shelves
Once Upon a Dress also runs a full boutique business beside the formalwear. The website lists everyday dresses for weddings, graduations, showers and class day, plus tops, skirts, rompers, sets and game-day outfits from boutique brands such as Entro, TCEC and DO+BE. For prom night itself, the accessory racks matter more: formal jewelry, clip-on earrings, purses, hair accessories, shoes, bras and Spanx are all stocked a few steps from the gown racks. Traditional wedding gowns and mother-of-the-bride dresses are not part of the mix, though the FAQ says some pieces may work for those occasions.
Gift cards are sold online, which is a tidy option for relatives who want to chip in on a prom dress without picking one out.
Ridgeland, Madison and the Highway 51 schools
Ridgeland High School is the closest public high school, and Madison Central High School is in neighboring Madison. Canton High School and the northern end of Madison County, Mississippi sit farther up Highway 51 and I-55, and the store's homecoming and pageant racks cover the rest of the school year.
The policies below come from the shop's FAQ and return policy.
Appointments
Not required; shop formal and boutique any time during store hours.
Sizes
000 to 22, with special orders in other sizes when available.
Alterations
Offered on all formal dresses and boutique items; call to set up a fitting.
Custom orders
Paid in full and non-returnable.
Formal dress returns
All sales final.
Questions shoppers bring to Once Upon a Dress
Can Once Upon a Dress order a gown I found online?
Staff can usually order it, as long as the store carries that designer and the style is still in stock with the maker. Custom orders have to be paid in full and cannot be returned.
Do I need to book a time to try on prom dresses?
No. The FAQ says shoppers are welcome to browse formal dresses any time during store hours. Alteration fittings are different: those are set up by calling the shop.