Life isn't perfect, but your prom dress can be!
That cheerful promise is The Wedding Tree's prom motto, and the rack count behind it is large for a downtown shop. The prom collection runs past 600 gowns, in sizes 000 to 28, spread through a three-story building on Main Street in the historic core of La Crosse. There is no need to book a prom appointment here. Shoppers are helped first come, first served, which suits a Saturday in town with a group of friends better than a fixed time slot does.
The store's history is a downtown one.
1976
Becomes part of downtown
1996
Debra Stangel buys the business and moves it to the John Rehfuss building
2015
The third floor becomes The Court Above Main, an event space
Stangel went on to buy the building itself and became the first woman to own it in its long history. The Court Above Main has floor-to-ceiling windows and an original wood ballroom floor, and the company also produces The La Crosse Wedding Expo at the La Crosse Center.
Inside, the building holds more than a thousand dresses across its departments. Full service here goes past the sale. The shop offers storage, steaming and pressing, which helps when a gown bought in January has to survive until a May dance. Questions can go to the shop by text as well as by phone, a small convenience for students who would rather type than call.
Labels, sizes and the registry
The store names Sherri Hill, Jovani, Ellie Wilde, Portia & Scarlett and Morilee as featured designers, and it adds Alyce to the list. If a sample fits the vision but not the size or color, staff can check availability and order a new dress from the designer.
Timing follows a familiar Coulee Region rhythm. New styles start arriving as early as November, and the main prom season runs from December to March. The busiest stretch is Saturday and Sunday from late morning into early afternoon, when there may be a short wait for a fitting room. A weekday after school tends to be calmer, and an early-season purchase also leaves time to line up an independent seamstress before her calendar fills.
Three things are good to know before you buy.
Dress registration
The store registers each dress it sells to help keep your look your own, though it notes it cannot be held responsible if a duplicate sells in any size or color.
New gowns only
There are no rentals and no consignment. Every gown comes new, straight from the designer.
Fittings
Prom alterations go to local experts. The shop no longer does them in house and lists independent seamstresses in La Crosse, Sparta, Onalaska and nearby towns who set their own schedules and prices.
Suits for the date, and the schools that shop here
The menswear department rents and sells suits and tuxedos.
Menswear department
Hundreds of style and color combinations
For proms
Pick a style four to six weeks ahead
Pricing
Full wedding rental packages start at $160; prom pricing varies, so ask for the prom rate
Also sold
Shirts, ties and shoes
Rentals on shorter notice are possible, but early orders are smoother in March and April.
La Crosse sits on the Mississippi in western Wisconsin, where the Black and La Crosse rivers meet it, and the city's two public high schools are Central and Logan, with Aquinas High School as its Catholic high school. A few miles north, Onalaska High School and Holmen High School round out the larger schools in the area, and West Salem High School is east along I-90. Across the river in Minnesota, La Crescent-Hokah families are also close by.
Bridal is the other major department. The private bridal floor holds more than 450 gowns, with try-on samples from size 4 to 30. The store has closed its mothers, wedding guest and bridesmaid departments to focus on bridal, menswear and prom.
Questions La Crosse families ask about The Wedding Tree
When do the new prom styles land on Main Street?
New collections begin arriving as early as November. Shopping in December or January gives the widest choice of colors and sizes before the spring rush.
How does the registry work if two classmates like the same gown?
The store records each dress it sells, but it does not guarantee against a duplicate in any size or color. Mention your school and dance at the register so staff can check.
Who handles hemming for a Wedding Tree prom dress?
An independent seamstress. The store lists several in La Crosse, Onalaska, Sparta and beyond, and each sets her own prices.