Sara Warrender

Lynchburg Bridal Boutique Sells New Designer Dresses for Hundreds

Bright smiles and designer gowns at low prices greet brides as they enter Church Street Bridal nestled in the small town of downtown Lynchburg, Va. Church Street Bridal is a wedding gown boutique that serves customers by offering new designer wedding gowns for as low as $200.

Tomahawk Elementary School teacher and local resident, Jennifer Key, bought her designer Alita Graham wedding gown Sept. 20 at Church Street Bridal for about $300. The dress was originally priced for more than $3,000 and donated from the storeroom of Kleinfeld’s “Say Yes to the Dress.”

“I would have never been able to afford that kind of dress without Church Street Bridal and what they do,” Key said.

According to ywca.org, Church Street Bridal was founded in 2004 and is a program offered through the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) of Central Virginia. The YWCA’s mission is eliminating racism and empowering women through programs such as residential and transitional housing, Domestic Violence Prevention Center, the Sexual Assault Response Program (SARP), Racial Justice, Anti-Violence, Children’s Supervised Visitation Center, Economic Development, Church Street Bridal, Church Street Bridal Too, and Ygyrl Leaders Program.

According to churchstreetbridal.com, Church Street Bridal originally began in order to raise funds for women and children while simultaneously providing a service to the community. According to Church Street Bridal Manager, Sheilah Mercer, Church Street Bridal offers gowns, shoes, and veils to brides at a highly discounted rate with all the proceeds benefitting the YWCA victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The price range for a Church Street Bridal gown is from $200-500 but the average price for a dress is $350.

“I think what sets us apart from everybody else first off is our mission and two, is our pricing,” Mercer said.

Brides are encouraged to come and look around, without the need for a set appointment. If a bride needs a special appointment due to critical time restraints, a consultant may be brought in during off hours to meet personally with the brides during off hours.

“During our business hours we welcome all walk-ins,” Mercer said. “That doesn’t mean you won’t get first class service, it just means you can come at your leisure and know that you will feel just as important as everyone else.  You will be able to look through the racks full of gowns without feeling rushed.”

Mercer revealed the New York boutique, Kleinfeld, donates a large number of dresses to Church Street Bridal and the majority of dresses seen in the Lynchburg store room have previously been featured in Kleinfeld. 

“Because the women connect the quality they are getting and the fun of, ‘This could have been on TV!’ for the price, it’s exciting,” Church Street Bridal and Liberty University Seminary student, Rachel Taylor, said. “We’re happy every time we sell (a Kleinfeld dress).”

Mercer continued by saying Church Street Bridal also offers dresses from renowned top couture fashion designer, Pnina Tornai. According to pninatornai.com, Tornai has been featured on hit television shows such as, “Say Yes to the Dress,” “10 Years Younger,” “Celebrity Master Chef” and more. She offers dresses ranging from classic princess type ball gowns to bold fashions.

“There’s only three places you can get a brand new (Pnina Tornai dress),” Mercer said. “Kleinfeld, Pnina Tornai herself, and Church Street Bridal.”

According to Mercer, the dresses are not “cookie cutter” dresses. Meaning, a bride walking out of the YWCA with a dress will have a one-of-a-kind ensemble for her special day. With the gowns deriving as samples from previous seasons of New York highest fashion, it is highly unlikely the bride will have her dress duplicated by another in the area.

“Brides who shop at Church Street Bridal are getting a couture gown for an off-the-rack price,” Mercer said. “Each woman is truly getting the most value for the price.”

Other dress donors listed on ywca.org include Becky’s Bridal, Fancy Bridal, Demetrios, Designer Loft, Williamsburg Bridal, Jingles, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, and Tia Mazza along with many others.

Mercer revealed how brides come from near and far to visit the YWCA in search of the perfect gown. The farthest one bride has traveled was from the country, Jordan. They have also shipped gowns to brides located across the Atlantic and even into Switzerland.

“Since coming to the YWCA Church Street Bridal shop, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, dressing, and celebrating with young ladies from all over the world,” Mercer said on the official Church Street Bridal blog.

Although Key exclaimed she loves her Alita Graham designer dress, Church Street Bridal originally drew her attention through the store’s values.

“When I heard about Church Street Bridal, that’s where I really wanted to get my dress from,” Key said. “Because for one, they have great quality dresses and two, I did want my wedding to give back to something, not be all about me because I like the volunteer aspect and where the proceeds go.”

Immediately upon entering Church Street Bridal, Mercer said brides are introduced to the mission behind the boutique.

“Them shopping with us means a lot,” Mercer said. “Whether or not they know it, when they walk through those doors they are contributing to something that is larger than what they even know.”

The mission of Church Street Bridal can be seen displayed as women walk up and down the building’s towering staircase, running calloused hands over smoothly worn wood. The YWCA building dates back to 1920 and holds memories in the dark grain of assault victims who have walked those same halls for many consecutive years. Church Street Bridal is currently located on the second floor of the YWCA of Central Virginia while the top two floors of the building are housing for women transitioning from domestic abuse shelters or women who simply need affordable housing.

Another YWCA program, Church Street Bridal Too, is located on the YWCA’s lower levels. According to ywca.org, while Church Street Bridal offers bridal gowns, Church Street Bridal Too, offers bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride, mother of the groom, flower girl dresses, and other formal wear suited to any special occasion.

“Every time I see another woman walk down those steps, I don’t know what her story is but I know there is a story there and I know I am helping that person,” Mercer said after offering a friendly greeting to a passing resident.

Along with Church Street Bridal’s constant sale prices, according to ywca.org, several annual events also serve as fund raisers. These events offered through the YWCA include Purse and Passion, a luncheon held annually, Academy of Women (AOW), held every two years to honor women of achievement in the Lynchburg community, and the Prom Dress Super Sale. According to Mercer, the Super Sale is held each January and is a well-known local event for the YWCA featuring donated prom dresses for mere dollars.

“We feel like they are partners in a mission that we believe in,” Mercer said. “The only reason they are willing to donate so many beautiful couture gowns to us is because they believe in what happens with the gowns once they go out.”  

Since 2004, Church Street Bridal has grown yearly by adding new donors and partners to the YWCA mission.

“Each month, from year to year it grows,” Mercer said. “We haven’t had any months that have not been in sales more than the year before. It may be just by a few hundred dollars, it may be a few thousand but everything continues to grow.”

Mercer reported that funds collected through the sale of wedding gowns go directly to one of the YWCA’s programs, SARP. According to ywca.org, SARP is dedicated to providing free crisis intervention, support, advocacy, and information to survivors of sexual assault and abuse, as well as to their family and friends. They also raise public awareness of sexual assault and personal safety with services available 24/7 to Bedford, Danville, and Lynchburg city residents.

 Last year SARP helped over 650 victims with over half of those victims being under the age of 13. SARP services include information and referrals, financial assistance, ongoing advocacy, and support groups funded in part by Church Street Bridal.

“Since our inception we have not had to cut any programs,” Mercer said. “We have not had to stop and turn anyone away and that is all thanks to the additional income from the bridal shop. For every dress that walks out that door I know that I have contributed to helping another woman or child who is in a desperate situation.”

According to Mercer, some future changes to Church Street Bridal include moving the bridal shop downstairs and some renovation and restructuring updates to the bridal shop.  While the building may change, and brides will come and go, Church Street Bridal will consistently work towards their mission of empowering women with each gown sold.

Since Then: An Update to the Shop and the Ladies Who Manage it

Church Street Bridal Shows Their Gratitude:

According to the Church Street Bridal official blog, each June the ladies of YWCA head to the Big Apple to thank their generous dress partners and donors. June of 2015, the group spent four days maneuvering the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn, averaging approximately 14 miles per day visiting salons to meet with current donors, and try to garner the support of potential future donors.

“The days were long,” Mercer said in the blog post covering the event. “The heat was hot. The miles were endless, but the benefits of this quick “thank you tour” will pay off in the long run through the beautiful gowns, veils, and accessories donated by over 20 different salons in New York that we visited.”

Jennifer Key Celebrates:

Key’s wedding has since come and gone. She sashayed down the aisle of her outdoor wedding and smiled lovingly at her future husband under a white trestle, draped with flowers.

“Jennifer looked stunning in her gown,” Mandy Warrender, Lynchburg native who attended the wedding, said. “It fit her perfectly and I could tell she felt wonderful. She really did glow, as if her confidence was just making her shine from the inside out. It’s such a blessing to feel that way on your special day.”

Key treated her guests to a night full of laughter, food and drinks, a photo booth, and dancing. While her husband and avid guitar player, Hunter, treated his new missus to a song he wrote just for her.

“Hunter is such an amazing guy,” Warrender said. “He treats her like a princess and I’m so glad. She really deserves this love. It was a great night overall. You could tell they were so genuinely in love and simply enjoying the opportunity to celebrate that love.” 

Church Street Bridal Reaches Dream Remodels:

Mercer’s dreams of reconstructing and reorganizing the bridal shop into the downstairs location became a reality when Church Street Bridal had their official grand re-opening Sept. 29, 2015. This included the bridal store moving their selection downstairs two floors where Church Street Bridal Too was formerly located and revamping the 3,000 square foot space to include four large dressing rooms, several large displays of gowns framed with chandelier lighting, and cases of accessories such as headbands, headpieces, and jewelry. The space also includes plush seating and large mirrors to give brides the best view of their gown.

To accompany their gowns are large hanging displays of veils for brides to choose from. Also on display are several pairs of shoes and hand bags.

“They did some renovations, it looks gorgeous,” Amanda Favret, Farmville bride, said in a Facebook interview. “They were super helpful and really made me feel like a princess and like everyone should when shopping for their wedding dress for their special day.”

The formal gowns were shifted to the second floor of the YWCA building after a long summer of repairs, remodeling, and organization. Church Street Bridal Too features long racks of formal wedding and prom dresses and six large dressing rooms. The store formerly used for bridal gowns also features several full-length mirrors for a multi-angled view. Women of all ages are meant to feel like royalty when entering the YWCA.