Bargain-hunting brides looking for that special gown huddled outside Filene's Basement in 11 degree temperatures today, all the better to get through the door first for the annual Running of the Brides event.
The one-day sale is held in Columbus at the Filene's Basement at 3704 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., and various other Filene's around the country at different times of the year.
Often compared to the famous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, the Filene's event has evolved from a special one-day wedding gown event held as early as 1947 in the retailer's Boston store. About 1,300 gowns were on the racks.
First in line yesterday were Jessica Kannowski and her mother, Marie Turow, who drove in from Ann Arbor, Mich., and arrived at the store at 8 p.m. Thursday - 12 hours before the sale would begin.
"The store was still open when we got here and the staff felt sorry for us," Turow said. "We stayed warm by going back and forth to the car and drinking hot coffee. Jessica heard about the sale, so we came and scouted it out last night and know exactly where we're going. We saw a Vera Wang that we like."
Farther down the line, "Team Megan" showed up at 5 a.m. wearing team T-shirts and toting a megaphone and sign, all the better to alert fellow shoppers of their particular needs.
The group, led by bride Megan Rumancik of Indianapolis, included bridesmaids Ana Harden of Cleveland and Angie Miller of Indianapolis and mother-of-the-bride Deb Rumancik.
"Ana found out about the sale and then Mom jumped on it," Megan Rumancik said.
Like many other groups, they had formulated a strategy for the event.
"Megan made a Powerpoint at her mother's request," Harden said. "At five minutes 'til 8, we'll take off our jackets and throw them in the trunk of the car," enabling the runners to move unencumbered and the bride to easily try on gowns.
They weren't the only groups who traveled in from out of town or out of state and stood outside in the cold. General manager Linda Weiss said she knew of bridal parties coming from Reno, Nev., and from Windsor, Ont.
"They come from all over," Weiss said. "They form teams. It's quite a science. They're very serious about this, they plot it out and stick together. They'll barter with other teams to find their size. They're in a big hurry to get that bargain. But we do talk to them about safety."
The reason for the brides' frenzy: Great deals. "The buyers are collecting these all year long," Weiss said. "There's some great couture and one-of-a-kind gowns. Our price points are $249, $499 and $699, and some of the $699 gowns regularly retail for $10,000."
"I would never pay that much," said bride Kim Cunagin of Grove City, who along with her sister Joyce Dunham, had enlisted brother Steve Alexander and groom Chris Cantrell for the event. Among the more than 400 people who waited outside, Cunagin's group was perhaps the only one with men in it.
"We're kind of unconventional," Cunagin said. The men "will grab the dresses, I'll try them on and she'll give me advice."
The great deals were of particular appeal this year.
A just-released poll from David's Bridal reports that 68 percent of brides say they plan to spend less on their wedding in light of the economy. While that's fewer than the 75 percent who said they planned to spend less last year, it still indicates that brides are keeping an eye on the budget.
At 8 a.m., the doors were flung open and hundreds of screaming, squealing, smiling, laughing women ran in and stripped the racks in the center of the store. Arms loaded with gowns, they staggered off to every corner of the store.
It happened in slightly less than 60 seconds.
"The fastest time ever was 37 seconds in Boston, but this was pretty good here," said Pat Boudrot, a spokeswoman for Filene's Basement. "At some stores it's more than two minutes before the racks are emptied."
The frenzy wasn't the end of the event, however. Brides and their teams scattered to all corners of the store to try on dresses. Some team members brought dresses back to the racks as the brides winnowed down their selections, others walked around the store with signs requesting specific sizes.
Meanwhile, brides had doffed their parkas and were wearing leotards, workout bras and bike shorts as they tried on the gowns. Some, more interested in a good fit than in modesty, stripped down to bra and panties on the sales floor.
"It's evolved all on its own," Boudrot said. "Our job is to keep them safe and happy. The running, the team uniforms, the trading and swapping, the signs, the cheering when someone finds a dress - that's all things that the brides came up with. It's become such an event."
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