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Stephanie wins “The Running of the Brides”

It was wonderful!!!!!!!!!!

We left Roanoke after lunch on Thursday and it took Christina (great friend and bridesmaid) and I 8 hours to get to her family’s home in Queens. We stayed with her cousin, got up for breakfast with her parents (Mary and Dino) at a local diner, and headed into the city. By the time we had finished breakfast, her aunt showed up to inform us that she had seen the initial running on tv, with 200 ladies in line for the doors to open at 8 a.m.

We drove into the city, over the Queensboro bridge, and I started getting a little nervous. One of my other friends’ brothers,Phil, met us outside of Filene’s (photo), and was kind enough to park the car so we could get inside. It took him 45 minutes, and we were anxious to start our search anyway. However, since we arrived closer to 10:30, we walked straight in, and immediately started digging through the 2500 dresses!!!!!

After an hour of looking and trying on 20 dresses, I was getting a little frustrated with the other gals in the store bumping into us and there being no room. Everyone was VERY polite, but each bride had managed to bring an average of 3 people with her, so it was supercrowded. There were brides in all state of dress and undress running around, trying on and tossing aside things that didn’t fit……at one point, I saw a $5000 gown on the floor! The Filene’s store employees were great to try to get into the stacks of dresses and rescue and rehang them, so it worked out ok.

We actually left to get a bottle of water and regroup. Phil came back and he and I and Christina each took a section of the store, went to look for the sizes and specifications I had called out. Phil found my second place winner (photo), but it was too big and the seamstress advised against it. (There are seamstresses and drycleaners to help you see if a dress will work or not.) We kept on trying, and Christina actually found THE ONE! It is a beautiful Davinci gown, and I saved over $1200!!! It is not what I thought I was looking for, it is even better……I can’t wait for Rick to get to see me in it!

I could not have done the whole search without my team! It was smart to have a man along to just carry our gowns, since you pick out what you want to try, then find a corner of the store to try them on in. Christina kept handing me these beautiful gowns to try on…….AMAZING variety and selection, but it was a challenge to find them. Phil asked the store manager what the system was, and she said that they literally drive the truck up to the door at midnight before the event, and just unload the dresses onto the racks that they have cleaned out from the previous day and the regular store merchandise. You might be looking at a size 2 one minute and a size 26 the next, and they are NEVER near each other! That’s why the initial dash at 8:00 am is such a madhouse……ladies just grab the most they can and then trade, with signs and friends helping negotiate! I was glad to miss that part, but I did have my pink whistle so I could alert Christina and Phil when I was ready to try on. We tried to get a couple of pictures of the actual event, but it was difficult….I’ve attached a couple for the fun of it, but they are not great…..sorry for the blur!

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/manhattan/filenes-running-of-the-brides-20110218-KC

I hope you guys are doing great, and can’t wait to see you again soon!!!!!!

Our future bride Stephanie Bird will be in “The running of the Brides”

Rockwood Manor Bed & Breakfast will have one of our Bride’s in Filene’s Basement World Famous Bridal Event

Brides-to-be come to the Running of the Brides® to find their dream dress at a bargain price. Whether you camp out overnight to be one of the first through the doors, or arrive later in the day for a less chaotic experience, by day’s end virtually every bride who comes here leaves with the wedding gown of her dreams (that she snagged for an unbelievable price) and a treasure trove of memories.
We would like to wish Steph good luck and happy hunting
from all of us here at Rockwood Manor.

http://www.filenesbasement.com/running-of-the-brides/

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