Shopping for a wedding gown is an integral part of planning a wedding. There are several stores in Eugene that allow future brides to choose from a diverse range of wedding attire.
Eva’s Bridal Mart, located at 970 Pearl St., has the biggest dress selection, with more than 1,100 dresses for sale.
“We have a mart atmosphere with boutique service,” owner Don Hilbert said. The store also has clothing for the wedding party as well as dresses for other occasions.
“We have a grand display of mirrors outside of the dressing room,” Hilbert said. “It’s like a fashion show for brides.”
However, future brides cannot touch the dresses; store personnel must handle the clothes and help customers to try them on. Hilbert said they can offer brides a financing plan and do all alterations at the store.
Brides can also check out Bride’s Corner, located at 1011 Valley River Way, which has about 125 wedding gowns and 300 bridal party dresses on hand. With a cozy atmosphere, the store has a no-appointments-necessary policy and customers are encouraged to try on gowns. They may also order dresses from a catalogue, with prices ranging from $350 to $750.
“One thing people like a lot about our store is that you don’t need an appointment,” owner Connie Ourada said. “You can touch the dresses and buy off the rack; we also sell brand new dresses that we order.”
The shop also sells shoes to complement wedding gowns, as well as stationary and invitations.
Ourada encouraged brides to shop around before making a decision on a dress in order to find the perfect one.
“We really like to work one-on-one,” Ourada said.
For a comprehensive selection of wedding services, The Reed and Cross Wedding Gallerie, located at 160 Oakway, may be the ideal store to visit.
“The great thing about being a Reed and Cross bride is that we have so many other services,” bridal manager Colleen Towe said. The store offers engraved invitations, a shower basket program and a bridal registry. It has a selection of more than 300 wedding dresses as well as several designer catalogues.
“At Reed and Cross, our goal is to service the bride beyond expectation,” Towe said. “We help her fine tune the whole wedding process.”