Prom at a shop built by six friends
The Exquisite Bride has a wedding-shop reputation on Old William Penn Highway. Fewer realize how many prom dresses sit behind that name. The store's online prom collection runs to dozens of pages of styles from three well-known evening labels, and the appointment form lists prom and homecoming right alongside bridal. A Franklin Regional senior can shop it without leaving town.
The business opened its doors in February 2005. Its own telling of the origin story is short: six friends with bridal experience pooled what they knew and picked a spot in a growing Murrysville. Several years later they added a second location in Gibsonia, on the North Hills side of Pittsburgh. Both stores are still open, and the site notes that each one carries slightly different designs and price points.
The Exquisite Bride was established on the principle of customer experience and attention to detail.
That principle comes from the About page, and it applies to a prom shopper as much as anyone. In practice, it means a guided visit rather than a free-for-all.
How a visit to Murrysville runs (a guide)
First
Request a time through the appointment form
Then
Tell the store what you are shopping for and roughly what you want to spend
Last
A stylist pulls options with that budget in mind
What the prom racks look like
The prom collection on the store's site is built around three names: Jovani, Terani and Primavera Couture. Jovani also anchors the evening section, and Terani carries the homecoming page. The filters on the prom collection run from size 000 up through 24, and the style mix covers just about every current shape: long ballgowns, corset bodices, high-low skirts, mock two-pieces, short ballgowns and long body-suit styles in satin, sequins, mikado and tulle.
That variety counts for more than any single dress. Prom in the eastern suburbs means a lot of students shopping in the same few weeks. Franklin Regional is right here in Murrysville, and Penn-Trafford, Plum, Gateway and Norwin students reach it along Route 22 or the back roads off it. A shop that can show a corset ballgown, a short sequin number and a clean satin gown in the same fitting room saves a family a second trip.
Ask about a few store-wide services while you are there.
Seamstresses
Fabulous, by the store's account, with years of experience in bridal
Order follow-up
Handled personally, so every order arrives correctly and on time
Store credit card
0% interest for 12 months, to spread out the cost of a big purchase
Those details are written with brides in mind, so ask how they apply to a prom dress when you book.
Old William Penn Highway is the older road that runs alongside Route 22 through Murrysville, and the shop sits handy for anyone already out on that stretch of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Students from the Gibsonia end of the region can check the store's second location as well.
Prom at The Exquisite Bride, in brief
Which prom designers does The Exquisite Bride carry?
The store's prom collection lists Jovani, Terani and Primavera Couture, with Terani also featured for homecoming.
Should I book an appointment for prom?
Yes, it is the smart move. The store's appointment request form includes prom and homecoming as options, and it asks for your event date and budget so the stylist can prepare.