A banner across the top of The White Room's website settles the first question. No appointment is needed for prom. Stop by anytime, it says, because bookings are kept for bridal fittings. That makes this Lebanon boutique, known first for wedding gowns, an easy place to drop in on a Saturday morning.
A Lebanon bridal shop with a big formal side
The White Room has been open since 2006, going by its About page. That same page places the store 20 miles outside Nashville and makes its biggest claim. Its prom, formal and evening department is, by the About page's count, the largest in Middle TN. That is the store's ranking, and the prom page backs it with a count of more than 1,000 formal dresses.
The store has not always been a single shop. A 2015 post on bridal designer Maggie Sottero's blog listed The White Room in both Lebanon and Murfreesboro and named it one of the label's Diamond Premier Retailers. The website lists only the Lebanon boutique, and the tuxedo page notes that tux rentals are offered at the Lebanon store alone.
The prom page says customers come from Middle Tennessee, northern Alabama and southern Kentucky. Closer to home, Lebanon High and Wilson Central are both in town, Watertown High is at the east end of Wilson County, and Mt. Juliet and Green Hill students are a quick run east on I-40. For more shops around Nashville and beyond, see our Middle Tennessee prom guide.
Six prom labels and a $300 floor
The store's online prom collection files its gowns under six designers: Sherri Hill, Jovani, Portia & Scarlett, Tiffany Designs, Terani and Tarik Ediz. Sherri Hill and Jovani are the two the prom page names, and the homepage's formal menu leads with Sherri Hill, Jovani, Tiffany Designs and Terani.
The price note is short and useful. Prom dresses start at $300, and the prom page says so in plain type under the description. The site does not publish a ceiling or an average, so bring a budget and tell the consultant early. The About page says every consultant is ready to style and customize looks for any client's budget.
The size run is wide. The prom filter covers 000 through 30, and it adds a separate women's run from 14W to 28W. Homecoming, which draws on Jovani and Sherri Hill, runs 000 to 26. The homecoming page pitches the same racks for state pageants too.
Prom sizes
000 to 30
- 000
- 00
- 0
- 2
- 4
- 6
- 8
- 10
- 12
- 14
- 16
- 18
- 20
- 22
- 24
- 26
- 28
- 30
The prom filter runs 000 through 30, plus a women's run from 14W to 28W, well past the 00 to 16 in dashes.
Formal wear keeps going after prom. The White Room's formal events page aims its gowns at pageants, balls and galas, the homepage mentions cotillion, and a debutante page shows gowns for young women making a society debut. Evening dresses have their own section of the site.
Seamstresses on weekdays and tuxedos for your date
Alterations stay in the building. The FAQ says seamstresses work in the store on weekdays, that they are skilled at custom alterations, and that they work only on gowns bought from The White Room. So a prom dress from this rack can be hemmed and fitted by the same shop that sold it. Plan fittings for a weekday.
The tux counter is the other reason to bring your date along. The tuxedo page offers tuxedos in a variety of colors and styles, and the shop counts hundreds of colored accessories on hand to complement a "hard to match" gown. That is the detail in this page's headline. Bring a swatch or the dress itself, and match a vest or tie to a color that a standard catalog might miss. The rentals come through Jim's Formal Wear, and the store asks you to place orders early so you get the tux you want.
For your date
Tuxedo rental in Lebanon
Catalog
Jim's Formal Wear
Accessories
Hundreds of colored pieces to match a hard-to-match gown
Order by
Early, to get the tux you want
Hours are short, so plan around them. The boutique opens 10 to 5 Tuesday through Friday and 9 to 4 on Saturday, and it is closed Sunday and Monday. Every sale is final here, in the store or online. The return policy states that The White Room LLC does not accept returns or exchanges on any in-store or online order.
If you'd like help before you arrive, the About page offers it. Book an appointment, and the consultants will start pre-shopping with you by text or email. Prom doesn't require that step, but it gives the staff your size, colors and favorite styles before your visit.
Planning a White Room prom trip
Which designers does The White Room carry for prom?
Six names appear on the prom collection: Sherri Hill, Jovani, Portia & Scarlett, Tiffany Designs, Terani and Tarik Ediz. Homecoming draws on Jovani and Sherri Hill.
Can the store's seamstresses alter a dress I bought somewhere else?
No. The in-store seamstresses work only on gowns purchased from The White Room, so a dress from another shop needs an outside tailor.
Is the shop open on Mondays?
No. The White Room is closed Sunday and Monday. Tuesday through Friday it keeps 10 to 5 hours, and Saturday runs from 9 to 4.
Can my prom date's suit match an unusual dress color?
That is what the accessory stock is for. With hundreds of colored pieces on hand, staff can pair a vest or tie with your gown, and early orders give the widest pick of tuxedo styles.