Aimee was 18 when she opened her salon in Cherry Hill in 1985. She built the business alongside her husband, John, at Black Tie Classics, and today her daughters Hallie and Julianna run it, Hallie bringing a design background and Julianna handling marketing and management. The family shop on West Marlton Pike has "Bridal" on the sign. Prom, though, gets a room of its own.
The store calls it a Ball Room, set aside entirely for prom, with more than 20,000 gowns in sizes 00 to 28, by the shop's count. Numbers like that are impressive, but a short line on the shop's designer page carries more weight for a junior picking a dress.
Oh, and don’t worry – we won’t sell the same prom dress to the same school more than once!
In other words, a school-by-school dress registry, and the first thing to bring up when you book. At a big school like Cherry Hill High School East, or across the Lenape Regional campuses in Marlton and Medford, two girls in the same gown at the same prom is not a hypothetical. Here, the shop tracks it for you.
Designers most of the area hasn't seen
The shop is candid about where its heart is. Its designer page says the prom and special occasion lines are its favorites, and that "A lot of our designers are not familiar in our area," which is the point: an unfamiliar label is one more layer of protection against a twin on the dance floor. The published prom roster pairs well-known lines with names you won't find on every rack in South Jersey.
On the prom roster
Not on every South Jersey rack
- House of Wu's Fiesta Collection
- Envious Couture by Karishma Designs
- Bari Jay
- Ritzee Originals
- Kiss Kiss
- Panoply
- Studio 17
Strappy, cut-out, flashy, sparkly. The prom page lists those four moods, and the racks cover all of them. According to the store, it's a retailer for many top designers along with styles that are exclusive to the salon, and it keeps a selection of glam jewelry for prom night. Its Instagram, @aimeemichellebridal, is where the store previews designers coming in, and the prom page invites shoppers to apply to model for the store or be a featured prom couple.
A prom plan, from the people who wrote one
Aimee Michelle publishes its own prom timeline, and it's more useful than most. This is the condensed version.
Four to five months out
Gather inspiration and follow the store's Instagram to preview the designers coming in
Two to three months out
Book a dress appointment. Once you choose, review alterations and book your fitting before you leave
One to two months out
Bring your date in to be measured for a tuxedo and color-matched to your gown, book transportation and a photographer, and break in your shoes
One to two weeks out: pick up your gown
Measuring your date in the same building is the shop's quiet advantage, and the timeline even points couples to Black Tie Limousine for the ride.
The men's side
Black Tie Formalwear
Outfits
Tuxedos and suits for dates, at the same store
Supplier
Sarno + Sons exclusively, which by the store's account gives it one of the largest color selections around
Color match
Your date's tie is matched before your dress goes home, per the alterations page
Quinceañeras
The same men's team outfits chambelanes
The seamstresses who handle alterations in house have been with the store for 15-plus years, it says. Prom fittings start about one to two months before the event. Bring your shoes and the undergarments you'll actually wear; the shop can add cups if you need them. Alterations are priced by the seamstress at the first fitting, are a separate charge, and are paid in full at that first appointment. For rush situations, the store asks you to call and it will try to fit you in.
The business terms are written out, too. A special order takes a 50 percent deposit. Stock purchases can go on layaway. All sales are final, and altered gowns can't be returned or exchanged. The homepage is clear that the salon works by appointment only, so request a slot through the site or by phone before you head over.
The location makes it easy for the west side of the township and the towns past it. West Marlton Pike runs toward Pennsauken and the bridges into Philadelphia. Cherry Hill High School West, Haddonfield Memorial, Collingswood and Pennsauken are the nearby schools on this side. For prom shoppers on this side of Camden County, New Jersey, it's an easy stop on a school night.
Registry and tux questions for Aimee Michelle
Does Aimee Michelle track prom dresses by school?
Yes. Per the store's designer page, it won't sell the same prom dress to the same school more than once, so tell your stylist which school and prom you're shopping for.
Can my prom date get a tux at the same store?
Yes. Black Tie Formalwear handles tuxedos and suits on site, and the staff can color-match his tie or vest to your gown.