World Famous Bridal Team Extravaganza / Dash In To Get Your Brand Name Wedding Dress For Less
By Dottie1
The Mad Dash for Discounted Bridal Gowns
Hundreds of brides-to-be flock early morning outside the doors of Filene’s Basement for the most terrifying shopping experience known to women.
It is not uncommon for the early birds to show up the day before and bring their lawn chairs, sleeping bags, and pop-up tents to the bridal gown extravaganza sale which has become part of the wedding planning experience for this tough bargain hunting bunch of brides and their friends.
The 'Running of the Brides'
OR the 'Running of the Bulls'
The Running of the Brides Have Come with a Mission
These 4 magical words "discounted designer wedding gowns" have brought brides running from all corners of the world to find the gown of their dreams at bargain basement prices. It is one of the most fun bridal events in the USA known as ‘The Running of the Brides’.
The 'mad dash' for the perfect gown has been going on since 1947 when Filene's Basement first hosted the famous bridal gown sale held once a year in selected Filene’s Basement stores and twice a year in its original store in Boston.
Currently Filene's Basement has been undergoing extensive renovations and so for the last few events the 'mad dash' has been held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston's Back Bay until the original flagship store in Downtown Crossing reopens this spring 2009.
Get Your Running Shoes Ready
Things stay pretty friendly until the doors open at 8:00 a.m. Then the countdown begins 5…4…3…2…1 and hell breaks loose! A stampede of brides and their team of helpers literally run full speed to the racks in a dress pulling, tug-of-war frenzy, grabbing as many gowns as their arms can possibly hold. It can take anywhere from sixty seconds to two minutes to strip the racks of nearly 3,000 bridal gowns.
Each team will then look for a private corner or empty space on the floor so the bride can weed out the good, the bad, and the ugly gowns and then she will begin to strip down to her underwear and try on her dresses.
Minutes later the trading begins. Each dress no matter what size, color or style, will get bartered for another, as each of the brides-to-be tries to find the gown of her dream at a discounted price of $249, $499 and $699 from the original $900 to $9,000 plus. The original price tags remain attached to the gowns so the customers can see the savings instantly.
Brides Gone Wild
The Fun Begins with Trading
After the brides-to-be have sorted through the gowns, the real game begins. The secret is to get as many gowns as you can off the rack to trade for the one that you really love. Many have said this event should be called 'The Trading of the Brides'. A trading strategy has evolved over time and the gowns that are rejected by the bride are shopped around to the different teams who are also looking to trade the gowns that they no longer want. This trading can get complex where one trade could involve multiple transactions. Often you will see the team helpers move their way through the crowd holding signs high above their heads that read "size 4 strapless", "size 8-10 in ivory" or simply "size 16 wanted".
At the beginning of the event you may see a wide range of different behaviors such as shoving, elbowing, hoarding but eventually it brings out the best in the brides and bonding takes place between the different bridal groups.
When a bride finds 'her dress' everyone in the area stops what they are doing and applauds. If a brides-to-be mother can't make the event, all the other mothers pitch in and act as surrogates to help find that perfect dress.
I Got My Dress at Filene's Basement
- Bridal success stories at filenes basement
I just wanted to send you a few pictures from the wedding. I had such an amazing trip and so much fun at Filene's Basement's Running of the Brides.
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Bridal Team Uniform
Why You Should Bring A Team of Helpers
You will definitely need people to help you grab as many gowns off the rack as you possibly can so you will have plenty to trade with later with the other bridal parties. It is recommended you bring at least 4 people. You will also need help in getting in and out of the dresses and to guard the other gowns in your pile from the quick snatchers. It is also the opinion of others who have braved it before you to have a team "uniform" to help you stand out in the crowd such as wearing bright or florescent colored shirts, vests, or hats. Some teams get very creative and print their team names on their t-shirts, carry whistles or walkie-talkies or any other item of their imagination. The Boston Filene's is underground so cell reception isn't great!
Will You Make It Out Alive
This distinctive event has been called crazy, scary and insane. It is shopping as a full-contact sport, and the women who take part in the 'Running of The Brides' wouldn't have it any other way. At the end of the day, you may have the gown of your dream with a fairytale ending or you may not. But one day you will look back on this experience and recognize that you wouldn't have wanted to miss it for anything, not for the world!
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- Upcoming Running of the Bride Events - Featuring Designer Wedding Dresses
WeddingWire is giving away FREE wedding dresses at the Filene's Basement Running of the Brides event.
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Comments
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Oooh I love weddings...I adore weddings and brides and bridal gowns and would love to join this mad dash! LOL
A new web site http://www.WeddingGownForSale.com is something that you should watch out.
Thanks 1weddingsource. Glad you enjoyed it. You can't beat the prices and it's a once in a lifetime experience. Thanks for checking it out!
Look at the future brides' face, they are all having fun. Good thing filene's basement have this cool offer. The price are really amazing, so low. Excellent job for creating this hub. Enjoyed reading it.
Ya know sis, I still have my white wedding gown. I'll take it with me into Filene's Basement when we go. Maybe some poor sucker will want it. I'll give them a good discount, LOL! (just kiddin!)
Well heck for the fun of it, let's go! :-)
You know sis, there was a time in my life when I wanted to wear a white bridal gown (not the creamy one, but the silvery white one.) Yes, that would be my dream wedding gown. :-)
Hi sis, there is another herd of brides dashing off this Friday, March 20 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and again in Rockville, Maryland USA on April 3rd. The next one in Boston is Friday, August 21st! Wanna go? You won't have to be the bride, I promise!
Hi...are there new brides dashing off to buy wedding gowns? LOL
Blondepoet, I love your answer for not marrying for small reasons. That makes perfect sense to me. Either way, married or not what matters most is the beautiful person you are. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
This is a awesome story Dottie1.Yoy certainly know your stuff. I always wanted to be a bride. I would lay there imagining what dress I would wear. It is like being Cinderella a magic moment.
That wont ever happen to me I ws engaged once at 18,once at 19. Then again at 21 I was married in a registery office but it did not last long.I am not being negative I mean I just have this inner feeling it wont happen for me, But I would never get married for small reasons anyway, I would have to be head over heels and 100% I was doing the right thing.
Glad you enjoyed and Thank you Meka for your nice comments. ~Dottie
This is a great hub and I have never heard of this bridal run. What an interesting read. Sounds like fun!
Another just as dangerous event is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when bargain hunters make the mad dash to start Christmas shopping!
I've been to the Bull Run in Spain and I've done the stampede on Black Friday but I'm still hesitant of being near the Killer Brides. I think I'd be a crushed Dottie!
Hi Dottie,
Ive heard of the famous Bull run In Pamplona, Spain, but ive never heard of the ‘The Running of the Brides!!
Looks just as dangerous! lol and if the beatles WERE there as Shirley wondered, they would have surely been crushed Beatles!! lol
LoL Shirley @ were the Beatles there? Ya never know, maybe they had the Beatles on subliminal singing "All You Need is Love". That would set the brides screaming! Thanks for shopping by Shirl and for the showing of the thumbs.
Love this hub, Dottie! I've never heard of this but it looks insane. It'd be fun to watch, but I sure wouldn't want to be part of it. The dresses that I could see looked beautiful, though. Never heard of brides screaming to find their dresses....were The Beatles there? ;)
Thumbs up for you, my friend!
2-raghu9 - I did but not anymore, thanks. 2-Anna - I can see where these bridal affairs can get emotionally charged leading to bumps and bruises. Maybe that's why some of the teams wear hard hats and steal toed shoes. I think that is your safest bet! 2-ripplemaker - definitely a much safer place and as the story goes by Robert McCloskey, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for a place to live. They finally decide on a place in Boston along the Charles River. Mrs. Mallard has eight ducklingsand decides to leave the Charles River site and settle in the Boston Commons. http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Pho
Hey Anna that is scary...
Sis Dottie, yeah, the ducklings will be "safer" than the bulls...ahh I mean brides. LOL
A friend of mine went to one of these discount bridal dress sales, and she said it was brutal!!! She had a couple of bruises and she never did find a dress she liked out of all of it!
i think u missed an indian wedding
cgull8m, It's all in the name of fun! Thanks for stopping by :)
Hey sis ripplemaker, not your cup of tea? I'd probably get knocked over and run down if I went in that zoo but I like animals and bridezillas so I thought it would be fun. Maybe we'd be better off visiting 'Make Way for The Ducklings' or something like that which is a little tamer than the 'Running of the Bulls', I mean Brides, LOL. Thanks for the visit. Take Care Now!
Hi Sis Dottie, I was laughing in astonishment (first time I heard of this); and you offering to bring me there if ever I want to get married --ROFL. But no thanks my angel sis. I would get dizzy with the crowd. I'm not much of a shopper. LOL I'd probably just say let's get the first one and get out of here. I would be a bummer. But I'm sure this is a pretty good treat for those who want bargain bridal gowns. :-) Happy shopping brides to be! :-)
Great job Dottie, marriage is once in a lifetime experience, people should have fun. Cheers :)
Thanks Princessa. After I watched the video "A dress for Jess" it sounds like I missed out on something really fun and an experience that Jess said was the most fun she's had in her whole life. I heard it is a much crazier event than what you read about or hear on the news. The best part is sharing your story and people asking "did you get your dress" and yes Jess got her dress after trying on 70 of them, unbelievable. This is an event people are very happy they went to but would not want to repeat ever!
Laughing at the bruise comments and Peggy's comment of going far enough in advance for the bruises to heal in time for the big day, lol.
Thanks Ladies for stopping by and commenting! I'm getting excited now and I really want to go! Anyone getting married?
Certainly not everyone's dream shopping experience! Hope they do this far enough in advance of any wedding for the bruises to heal. Ha!
That sounds fantastic, plenty of fun (and a few bruises I bet). Buying my wedding dress was so boring... just one shop and the third dress I tried did the trick! Your "running of the brides" souns like so much fun!
Thumbs up :)
Hi Laila, thank you and yes it does sound like fun to me as long as I'm not the bride. If I were to be asked to help, definitely I would want to experience the thrill of it all! I'll have to start plugging on my neices, lol!
Hey G-Ma, I'm glad you had fun browsing through the hub. I couldn't find the article I once read about the "running of the bulls" but it is the comparison of how this event got it's name. I'll have to dig more for that story! Nice to see you and hope all is well at your home! Take care!
Hi mamacoots, Looking at dresses can make for a very long day. Have fun with your sister and her bridesmaids and shop til ya drop. Wear your running shoes, at least your feet can go home happy! Thanks for coming by!
Great Hub, Dottie! Looks like this is for SERIOUS shoppers!!! lol I'm supposed to be going on a shopping trip with my sister and her bridemaids this weekend to look for dresses. I hope it's not going to be crazy like that. Maybe I should wear my running shoes. ;-)
you did a great job here sweetie...I have seen this and to me it is craziness...but I AM A PLAIN jane...but to each her own??? what ever makes your boat float??? Life is a one way trip....there is no going back so enjoy and be yourself...and Be Happy...don''t worry...Thanks for a fun fun hub...G-Ma :O) Hugs & Peace
P.S. Loved the comparison to The Running of the Bulls...yeh
Dotti..this is great!Never heard of this before and yes,it does sound a lot of fun! Youre right,when you look back at all the confusion,grabbing and trading,you would not trade this day for anyother! Thanks for sharing!:)
mysisters 16 months ago
Great Hub. This event is insane, but if you can get a gorgeous dress for a great price why not?