Ready, Set, Go!!!

The annual "Running of the Brides" at Filene's Basement Chicago will take place on July 25, 2008. The Chicago store will house 1300-2500 designer wedding gowns that can be had at three price points: $249, $499 and $699. This is such an incredible deal considering they carry some wedding dresses that retail for $9000.The doors for this event open at 8am. But please be advised--most brides camp out overnight for this spectacular sale! Not sure that you have the patience or stamina to "run with the brides?" It may not be at all necessary. See a few of the answers below from the FAQs from Filene's:

What if I don’t want to partake in the actual “Running of the Brides,” or I can’t get there till later in the day, will there still be dresses left? Plenty! When the store opens, the racks get cleared quickly because people take as many as their arms can hold. Not knowing what they’ve grabbed, they quickly relinquish the sizes and styles they don’t want, putting them back on the rack or giving them to empty-handed brides. If a bride gets impatient waiting, we tell her to go have a cup of coffee and come back later—by 10:00AM, most of the dresses are back on the racks and you can shop in relative calm.

If you don’t get out of work till 5:00PM, or you’re just not up to the frenzy of store opening, the odds of finding a dress are still excellent. Only one in three or one in four people in line are shopping for a wedding gown. The others are helpers. For instance in Boston, usually the biggest event, there may be 800 people in line but only 250 of them are brides-to-be and there are up to 2500 gowns for sale.

What happens when the doors open? Customers run full speed to the racks; they grab as many dresses as their arms will hold. It takes less than sixty seconds for the racks to be stripped bare; the record is 36 seconds. The brides-to-be stake out a spot on the selling floor, preferably in front of a mirror and start trying on dresses. Even though we sometimes build a temporary fitting room on the selling floor most brides try on gowns in the aisles. Some women wear sports bras and shorts, others wear the lingerie they plan to wear under the gown.

Should I bring help? Definitely bring help—your mother, bridal party, a style-savvy friend. You need people to help grab gowns off the racks, make trades with other parties, help you in and out of the dresses, and guard the ones in your “maybe” pile from prowlers. It’s a good idea to have a team “uniform”—something that will help you find each other in the crowd, like wearing the same color shirts or big hats. Some teams get very creative. They print their team name on t-shirts, carry whistles or walkie-talkies, and so on. Some teams have strategy meetings before the sale; one woman created a Power-Point presentation for her team all about the dress she wanted.

For a complete list of the FAQs, click HERE.Please be aware that dresses are non-returnable, because Filene's doesn't carry wedding gowns except for the day of the bridal sale. But if you find a gown that you later fall out of love with, I'm positive that it wouldn't be that hard to get rid of. You could list the dress on eBay or Craig's List or take it to a consignment shop.

Filene's Basement Chicago
One N. State Street
Chicago, Illinois 60602
312-553-1055
Cash, checks and credit cards accepted.

Coming soon: Ready, Set, Go!!! Part II. . .Tips to finding your dream dress at the "Running of the Brides."
Photo credit: Filene's Basement