A 10,000-square-foot prom floor on US 36
Out on US 36 between Coshocton and the I-77 interchange, a converted train depot holds one of the biggest prom inventories you'll find anywhere in east-central Ohio. Universe Bridal & Prom sits inside the Unusual Junction complex in West Lafayette. Its site puts the showroom at 10,000 square feet and names Universe the largest prom and bridal salon in and around Ohio. Walk the floor and the claim makes sense quickly. It stocks thousands of authentic designer prom dresses in sizes 000 to 34, with plus sizes treated as a real part of the buy, and it offers access to thousands more online.
The store has been here since 1997. Founder Teri (McKenna) Misener was running a wedding catering business from the same property and started the shop with ten gowns displayed in a converted railroad car. It has grown a long way from that railcar. Today the floor serves prom, homecoming, quinceañera, bridesmaids and brides, and customers come from across Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.
The prom collection is sorted by designer, and the list covers most of the big names in the category: Jovani and its JVN line, Alyce Paris, Amarra, Ava Presley, Clarisse, Dave and Johnny, Ellie Wilde, Faviana (including Faviana Plus), Aleta, Morilee, Primavera, Portia & Scarlett and Sydney's Closet. Most of those labels have homecoming and short cocktail lines on the floor too. The site even sorts prom dresses with pockets and prom dresses with slits into their own collections, a sign of how deep the racks go. Per its site, Universe is an authorized retailer for every brand it sells.
Booking the trip
Universe is open seven days a week, but only by appointment, in every department and for dress pickups too. The store says appointments guarantee a fitting room and help it staff the floor. It also prefers to talk to shoppers directly rather than run an online booking calendar, so call the store, email it, or send a private message on Facebook or Instagram to set a time.
A family driving in from New Philadelphia or Wheeling should plan on two hours. Prom and homecoming shoppers may bring up to two guests, who get seating by a stage with full mirrors. If you can, arrange care for little ones, and choose a weekday if you want a calmer floor. Wear your hair in a way you can pull up.
Bring
- Shoes similar to the ones you'll wear
- Neutral undergarments
- Any shapewear
Leave in the car
- Food, candy and drinks, which aren't allowed in the prom and bridal departments
Shopping at Universe is hands-on. You and your two guests walk the racks and pull what you want to try. Staff will pull dresses for you on request, and your guests are welcome to help in the fitting room. The site warns, so nobody is surprised, that consultants won't be bringing a handful of dresses to you while you sit.
Paying, ordering and getting it fitted
Layaway is available for prom and homecoming as well as bridal, with a monthly payment required. Special orders and build-to-order options exist too, and the store explains how an order goes in.
Before anything is ordered
A deposit is required
Order placed
When the dress can arrive from the manufacturer at least ten days before your event
If the timing is tighter
The store calls with faster shipping options so you can decide
Two rules deserve a second read. All sales are final, with no refunds, exchanges or cancellations, and that includes deposits once a layaway or order is started. And all merchandise has to be picked up and paid in full before the wear date.
Alterations are not done at Universe or included in the price. The store expects most dresses to need some work and says most local seamstresses can handle it, since even beaded gowns can be taken in at the side or back seams or hemmed. Its best tip: wear your event shoes to the seamstress, because the hem is cut to them. Tuxedo rental has been discontinued, so a date's suit will come from somewhere else, and the store does not carry a mother-of-the-bride line or flower girl dresses.
The location makes a day of it.
Exit 65I-77
Seven miles west on US 36, right along the highway.
The store puts itself about ten minutes from Coshocton and historic Roscoe Village. Ridgewood High School shares the store's West Lafayette address. Coshocton and River View in Warsaw round out Coshocton County, and Newcomerstown, New Philadelphia and Dover lie to the east, toward I-77. Brides get their own appointment days and a gown range of roughly $999 to $2,999, but on a winter weekend the prom floor is where most of the cars are headed.
A laid-back floor at Unusual Junction
Our shoppers appreciate our laid back, non-pushy store. We encourage you and your guests to take an active approach to selecting your dress.
Universe wrote that about its own floor, and the walk-the-racks setup above bears it out.
Universe prom questions from Coshocton-area families
Can I walk in at Universe without booking?
No. Universe is open seven days a week by appointment only, for shopping and pickups. Book by phone, email, or a Facebook or Instagram message.
Does Universe do alterations?
No. Alterations are not included or done in-house. The store recommends a local seamstress and suggests bringing your event shoes to the fitting.