The Country Bride fills a 7,000-square-foot salon on North Broad Street in Lansdale, and a North Penn junior with a free Saturday can shop its prom racks without an appointment. Other appointments at the Lansdale salon take a deposit, but the store says there is no appointment fee for prom at all. You can simply show up.
The shop behind that policy has a long story. Trish Burkholder opened The Country Bride on November 3, 1986, a date she chose because it was her parents' wedding anniversary. She had a business degree and years as a buyer for several major department stores behind her, and the name came from a handmade quilt she spotted on a shopping trip to Lancaster, called "The Country Bride," designed with hearts, flowers and lovebirds. The quilt became a wall hanging in the store. Her husband, Ed, later joined the business and added tuxedos, which is where the "Country Gent" half of the name came from.
What the prom floor carries
Prom is a full department here, with its own Instagram account and its own homecoming section.
The store names Sherri Hill among its top prom designers, and it is one of three labels on the prom collection that also turn up in the homecoming section.
Prom and homecoming
Also on the prom collection
- Portia and Scarlett
- Ashley Lauren
- Jessica Angel
- Amarra
- Chandalier
- Sydney's Prom
The prom size range is wide, running from 000 up to 36 with women's sizes from 12W to 24W, so the search is not limited to sample sizes. The store's homepage describes its prom styles as a balance of sophistication and trendsetting flair, from sparkling statement gowns to sleek, fashion-forward designs. The FAQ also mentions in-stock sale gowns for prom, which is useful for a late shopper or a tight budget.
The store's prom page puts the walk-in policy in a single sentence:
Appointments are not required for Prom shopping at Country Bride.
The FAQ also coaches shoppers on the visit itself.
From the store's FAQ
- Bring a parent or close family member and your best friend rather than a big group, since seating for large groups is not guaranteed.
- Expect that a walk-in may have to wait for a dressing room when every consultant is busy with booked appointments, so plan around the busiest weekends of prom season.
When a designer has a particular style in stock, the FAQ says the gown can arrive within about four weeks, with rush orders available from certain designers. If the dress you love is not on the floor in your size, ask whether it can be ordered in time before you give up on it.
The homecoming section, in sizes from 000 to 26, gives a sophomore a way to get to know the store in the fall, well before prom season.
The salon and the people in it
The current store is the third location in the company's history. The owners turned a 7,000-square-foot building on North Broad Street into what they call the most elegant and spacious salon in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Trish has called designing and opening it one of her proudest milestones. The Country Bride describes its approach as a "non-stuffy" experience meant to be fun and relaxing, and it says prom is one of the exciting times of its year.
Store manager Christine started part-time after being drawn in by the window displays and worked her way up through assistant manager. Trish says one of her favorite moments is when past clients come back as mothers and bring in the next generation.
For fit, the store has experienced, professionally trained seamstresses available by appointment for any gown bought there.
Alterations
Independent seamstresses the store recommends, priced separately
Steaming and pressing
Complimentary, even on a dress altered elsewhere
Wedding gowns are still the backbone of the business, and the mothers' collection hosts designer trunk shows, but prom shoppers get their own collection, their own social feed and the no-appointment policy.
From North Penn to Souderton and Pennridge
North Penn High School, one of the largest high schools in the state, is the home school. Souderton Area High School in Harleysville, Pennridge High School in Perkasie and Methacton High School in Eagleville send shoppers too, as does Central Bucks South High School in Warrington. For more prom shops across the North Penn area of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the state, see the state page on this site.
Country Bride prom answers
Are there sale gowns for prom?
Yes. The store's FAQ mentions in-stock sale gowns for prom, a help for late shoppers and tighter budgets.
What sizes does the prom collection cover?
The prom collection runs from size 000 to 36, plus women's sizes 12W to 24W.
Can I get my prom dress altered there?
Yes. Independent seamstresses recommended by the store work on site by appointment for gowns purchased at The Country Bride.