Gaston County families know this shop by its old name. Since 2004 it has been Bedazzled Bridal & Formal on South New Hope Road in Gastonia, and it is now becoming Elizabeth & Co. Bridal Studio, with a new home announced for downtown Belmont.
The name is changing, but the prom page still carries the promise this team built its reputation on.
We register prom dresses by school to ensure no two students who shop with us wear the same dress to the same school.
That is the whole game for a junior or senior. Nobody wants to walk into the gym and find their gown already on the dance floor. A registry like this rewards the early shopper, too. The first girls from each school get the widest pick, and the rack narrows as the season goes on.
What the prom side looks like
The store's current site lists its featured prom designers as Jovani, Faviana, Ellie Wilde, Ladivine and Kate Parker. Those five labels stretch from red-carpet beading to softer, more classic shapes. The prom page talks about hundreds of dresses to browse in person, long and short, simple and showstopping.
The FAQ fills in the shapes. You will find A-line silhouettes, mermaid styles, ballgowns, strapless gowns, dresses with sleeves and modest options with more coverage. Plus size prom dresses are part of the collection, and the FAQ promises the same styles no matter the size. In a market where lots of girls have been told to settle for whatever comes in their size, that counts for a lot.
Walk-ins have been the rule for prom. No appointment needed, friends and family welcome, and a stylist on hand to narrow things down by body type, prom theme and budget. Once the dress is chosen, the team talks through shoes, jewelry and accessories so nothing is left to hunt down later.
The prom page and FAQ lay out the details:
- When to start
- Two to three months before your prom, ideally February or early March for spring dances. Peak season runs March through May.
- Your date's tux
- Tuxedos and suits rent for prom, with professional fittings included and a final fit check at pickup. Book the fitting two to three months out; tux appointments run on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Last-minute rentals
- Possible up to 10 days before pickup, for an additional fee.
- Alterations
- Not done in-house. Stylists refer you to experienced seamstresses who handle prom dress work. Simple jobs can take two to three weeks and bigger changes four to six.
- Buying
- All sales are final, and the store encourages trying every dress on in person rather than shopping from the website.
Read that alterations line twice. A dress bought in late April with a hem and a strap adjustment still needing work leaves very little cushion before a May prom. Shop in winter if you can.
The move to downtown Belmont
The homepage puts it in capital letters: a new name, a new home, coming soon to downtown Belmont. The studio's new address is on East Woodrow Avenue, in the heart of downtown Belmont, east of the old Gastonia storefront. The store's homepage still lists the Gastonia showroom, so check with the shop on timing before you plan a trip to the new location.
The people are not changing with the sign, as far as the site shows. Per its site, the boutique is women-owned and led by a mother-daughter team, Dee and Meg, backed by stylists with more than 15 years of combined experience in bridal and formalwear. Bridal gowns and mother of the bride dresses have always shared the floor with prom here, and the new Elizabeth & Co. preview page leans into that bridal side. The prom details above come from the store's current site, so confirm the prom lineup with the studio once the Belmont doors open.
Belmont, Mount Holly and Gastonia prom shoppers
A downtown Belmont address puts the studio closer than ever to South Point High School, which is in Belmont itself, and to Stuart W. Cramer High School, which also serves the Belmont area. East Gaston students come down from Mount Holly, and Forestview and Ashbrook families head east from Gastonia, the same families who knew the shop on South New Hope Road. According to the store, it has long drawn prom-goers from Charlotte, Mount Holly, Lake Norman and Rock Hill as well, and Belmont sits right on that path.
For a wider look at prom shops in Gaston County and beyond, the guide to prom boutiques across North Carolina is the place to compare.
The Bedazzled rename and the prom registry
Is Elizabeth & Co. Bridal Studio the same shop as Bedazzled Bridal & Formal?
Yes. The store's own homepage announces that Bedazzled Bridal is becoming Elizabeth & Co. Bridal Studio, with a new home in downtown Belmont.
Does the store keep a prom dress registry?
Yes. Its prom page promises to register prom dresses by school so that no two students who shop there wear the same dress to the same school.
Which days are set aside for tux fittings at Bedazzled?
Tux appointments run on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and tuxedos and suits rent for prom with professional fittings included.