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Wedding Gowns for just $249

A record number of brides-to-be are expected to show up at Boston’s semi-annual Running of the Brides sale on Friday, August 21st, looking to snag the wedding gown of their dreams at a bargain price. The doors of the Hynes Convention Center will open at 8:00am to let loose hundreds of brides and their helpers into a sea of white. So deep are the discounts, many customers will literally pounce on dresses priced from $249-$699 that might otherwise cost as much as $10,000.

“Calls about this event are way up over last year,” said Macy Syms, CEO and President of Syms Corporation, new owner of Filene’s Basement. “Brides are looking to save anyway they can, and if they find a dress here, they can stretch the wedding budget a lot further.”

The racks are stripped bare in less than 90 seconds as the brides and their team members grab the first dresses they come upon. Then it’s time for the women to strip — down to leotards, sports bras or even underwear — to try on the gowns in the middle of the sales floor.

If it doesn’t quite fit, a seamstress can do the trick, and the bride can still come out way ahead. But what happens if a petite bride found she pounced on a size 14 dress in pink chiffon instead of a size 4 in white satin? That’s when the real fun begins, as the women start bartering to find the right designer or size. It’s a ritual that turns Filene’s Basement into an old-fashioned bazaar.

“The ‘rush to the racks’ when the doors open can be a lot of fun, but it’s not everyone’s idea of a good time,” said buyer Nicole Iaricci. “We want brides to know that by late morning things calm down and there are still plenty of dresses to choose from.”

Press