Walk in the main entrance of MB Bride on South Urania Avenue, turn left and climb the stairs. That second floor is MB Prom, a full prom store stacked on top of a bridal salon. Its site lists it as a Certified Top 10 Prom Retailer in the USA, with more than 2,500 prom dresses in stock at its peak.
The number gets attention. The policy underneath it is what makes the number useful.
We keep track of EVERY dress that we sell during the Prom/HOCO season to ensure no one at the same school has the same dress!
MB Prom's FAQ makes that pledge in capital letters, and it carries weight in this part of the state. Hempfield Area, Greensburg Salem, Norwin, Penn-Trafford and Greater Latrobe all sit in Westmoreland County, and their proms land in the same few months. A registry that covers every sale, for both prom and homecoming, is the difference between a unique dress and an awkward photo.
How a visit works
MB Prom does not take appointments. It runs first come, first served, and the store lays out the routine in five steps.
How a visit to the prom floor runs (a guide)
First
Come in through the MB Bride main entrance and head upstairs to the prom floor
Second
Scan the QR code to sign in, which puts you on the waitlist on a busy day
Third
When it is your turn, pull up to five dresses to try on at once
Fourth
Work with a consultant who can talk through styles, colors and the different designers
Last
Take your time. The store says there is no time limit
There are more than 20 dressing rooms, and weekends still fill up. The store's advice is to come on a weekday, or to be there right at opening on a Saturday or Sunday.
The calendar shapes a visit too. The store runs multiple buying rounds, so new dresses keep arriving all year.
January
Nearly all prom dresses are in the store
May
Buyers go to the homecoming market
July
Nearly all homecoming dresses are in
August
A week in Atlanta buying for winter formals and prom
The designers upstairs
The MB Prom site lists its prom and homecoming designers by name. These are the ones with their own pages on this site:
- Sherri Hill, for both prom and homecoming
- Rachel Allan
- Primavera, long prom and short styles
- Jasz Couture, including Lush by Jasz Couture
- Ashley Lauren
- Amarra
- Ava Presley
- Ellie Wilde by Mon Cheri
- Johnathan Kayne
- Jovani homecoming
- Portia and Scarlett homecoming
Kate Parker, Maja Bella and Chandalier fill out the racks. The store makes a point of keeping current designs on the floor.
Plus-size shoppers have real options here. MB Prom carries Sydney's Closet, a label that makes only plus-size gowns, in sizes 14 to 40.
In-stock prom sizes
000 to 32
- 000
- 00
- 0
- 2
- 4
- 6
- 8
- 10
- 12
- 14
- 16
- 18
- 20
- 22
- 24
- 26
- 28
- 30
- 32
Regular sizes run 000 to 32 and women's sizes 14W to 32W.
A family business that grew a prom floor
The story behind the building is a good one, and it starts with a Greensburg shop that, as the store puts it, had no prom gowns at all.
1991
In November the Pederson family takes over a small shop with a few employees and about 20 wedding dresses
2004
Moves into the old Greensburg Lumber building, about eight times larger, stocking 300 to 400 prom gowns
2019
A full summer remodel adds more space, more dressing rooms and new lighting
Prom crept in along the way. About five years in, the family tried it with maybe 70 dresses. The next year there were more, then more again. Two years after the move into the lumber building, the business built the upstairs MB Prom area, which the store says is bigger than its entire original shop.
Today the store's site describes the business as Pennsylvania's largest family-owned bridal and prom store, with shoppers traveling in from Monroeville, Murrysville, Cranberry, Washington, Butler and Wexford, along with Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and New York. For anyone shopping in southwestern Pennsylvania, Greensburg is not much of a detour.
Downstairs is still a full bridal salon, and tuxedos come through Modern Tux at the same address. The store's alterations department handles everything from tuxes to wedding gowns, and it will alter prom dresses bought here when it has openings. It books up, so shop early if you want a spot. Payment is simple: major debit and credit cards, cash or check.
MB Prom questions from Westmoreland County shoppers
Will MB Prom hold a dress?
No. The store does not hold dresses, so a style you like can sell before you arrive.
Does MB Prom alter prom dresses?
Yes, for dresses bought at the store, when the alterations department has availability. Appointments go first come, first served.
When is the best time to shop?
Nearly all prom dresses are in stock by January. Weekdays, or right at opening on weekends, mean the shortest wait.