Walk down South Seguin Avenue from the Plaza and you reach a 1929 building with a historical marker out front. It was once the only bus station in New Braunfels. Today Celebrations, open since 1988, sells prom gowns and tuxedos here. It also keeps a promise about matching dresses that any New Braunfels prom shopper should hear before buying.
From a second-floor shop to the old Seguin Avenue bus depot
Celebrations opened in January 1988, and the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung names Connie Worley as its original owner. The first shop sat on the second floor of another downtown building and held a couple dozen wedding gowns. Business grew. By the store's own account, it slowly became a market leader between Austin and San Antonio, and it outgrew those upstairs rooms.
The move to the old bus station came later, and the shop has now been at 275 S. Seguin Ave for more than a decade. Ashley Orr bought the business in 2016 and runs it with her husband, Reece, who grew up in town ("go Unicorns!" as the team page puts it). Orr earned a computer science degree at Texas A&M, opened her own boutique in Sacramento in 2004, moved to New Braunfels in 2008 and worked in tech in Austin before taking over. She told the Herald-Zeitung in 2023, when the store marked its 35th year, why she wanted this particular shop.
I had met a lot of friends from New Braunfels, and they had gotten wedding dresses here or gotten prom dresses here. I knew it was kind of a staple in the community, and I thought that would be a really neat legacy to continue.
1988
Opens upstairs in another downtown building with a couple dozen wedding gowns
2016
Ashley Orr buys the business
2023
Marks its 35th year in business
How the Prom Promise is kept, school by school
The store's FAQ spells out the "Celebrations Prom Promise." It will never sell your dress, in the same color, to another girl from your school. Read that carefully. The promise covers the same style in the same color, so a classmate could still leave with your gown in a different shade.
Keeping it takes paperwork. The shop documents in multiple places which dresses went to which schools, and Orr told the Herald-Zeitung that staff keep track of which high school prom each gown is headed to. So timing counts. The store's prom page tells girls to shop early for the best selection, because every sale takes that dress and color off the table for your classmates.
New Braunfels High and Canyon High are both in town, Smithson Valley High is out west in Spring Branch, and Seguin High is east along I-10. The store says its customers come from Austin to San Antonio and beyond.
Sherri Hill racks, prices and the 00 to 24 run
The prom floor leans hard on one designer. The store's online prom collection is all Sherri Hill, with each style marked as in store. The FAQ also names Faviana, so ask about it if that label is on your list. If a style you like isn't on the rack in your size or color, the shop can usually check with the manufacturer about a special order.
The store posts its prices. The FAQ gives a prom range of $400 to $1,000 in sizes 00 to 24. The online collection runs from about $400 to just under $1,000, and most styles sit between about $450 and $600. Browse the store's site first and you'll walk in with a real budget.
Typical prom prices online
About $400Most $450 to $600Under $1,000
Every visit needs an appointment, even a quick browse or a pickup. The shop stays open until 8 on Thursdays, closes on Sundays, and books after-hours VIP appointments by phone.
Fittings with Maritza and the hem timeline
Alterations happen in the building, for gowns bought at Celebrations only. Orr told the Herald-Zeitung the work is done by Maritza, a contract seamstress who works from the studio apartment above the shop. She had been with the store for 10-plus years by then, and she comes down two days a week. The alterations page lists those days as Tuesday from 10 to 2 and Thursday from 12 to 6.
Fittings are by appointment and cost extra. Call one to two months before the fitting date you want. Formal wear then averages four to six weeks. Bring the exact shoes and undergarments for prom. The alterations page warns that "without the shoes, the hem cannot be pinned and the completion date will be delayed."
One to two months out
Call to book the fitting
Tuesday or Thursday
Fitting with your prom shoes and undergarments
Four to six weeks
Typical formal wear turnaround
Pick up
Tuxes, deb courts and the Model Search
Prom dates can rent or buy here too. The tux side carries Michael Kors suits and tuxedos, plus what the store counts as thousands of colorful accessory combinations. Sam, the menswear manager, has been with the shop for more than a decade, and the Herald-Zeitung reported in 2023 that Celebrations had been a preferred Jim's Formal Wear vendor for more than ten years.
Formal season doesn't stop at prom. The store has dressed debutante courts for New Braunfels, San Antonio, Seguin and Austin for decades, and it handles homecoming and pageant gowns. Bridal runs alongside, from the store's own Grace and Joanie line to Maggie Sottero and Allure.
Tux and suits
Michael Kors, to rent or buy
Debutante courts
New Braunfels, San Antonio, Seguin and Austin
Homecoming and pageant
Gowns for the stage and the fall dance
The shop also runs a Model Search for high school juniors and seniors, and simply attending has earned photos and a coupon toward a prom dress. Those picked for the team model through prom season. If you're shopping prom in the Texas Hill Country, it is an easy way to meet the staff before you shop.
Questions New Braunfels prom shoppers ask Celebrations
Could a classmate end up in my exact prom dress?
Not in the same color if you both buy from Celebrations. The Prom Promise blocks a second sale of your style and color to your school, though the same gown in another color can still be sold.
Who owns Celebrations now?
Ashley Orr has owned it since 2016, with her husband Reece. She took over a shop first owned by Connie Worley and kept the Celebrations name.
Can I get a dress from another shop altered here?
No. The in-house seamstress only alters gowns sold by Celebrations. If you do buy here, the FAQ says you are not required to use her.
What sizes does Celebrations stock for prom?
The FAQ lists 00 to 24, and the store can often check with the designer for a size it doesn't have on the floor.