If you or a teen in your household plan to attend prom this year, start saving now.
The average special-occasion gown at Memories bridal shop in Kalamazoo runs between $300 and $700, which doesn’t include accessories. It might seem like a teen would need a fairy godmother to pull off this look. That’s where Adrienne Wissner – the owner of Memories Bridal and Evening Wear Shop and the founder of The Cinderella Project of Kalamazoo – steps in to assist.
“From the very beginning, we wanted to be able to do something to give that special experience to every young woman,” Wissner said. “So, everyone can have that experience to feel like a princess no matter what their financial circumstances.”
A graduate of Hope College, Wissner opened Memories in 2003 in her hometown of Stevensville and moved the store to its present location in downtown Kalamazoo roughly two years later. In 2007, she created The Cinderella Project of Kalamazoo, an annual event in which she and her team collect donated prom dresses from the community and give them out free-of-charge to any student who can’t afford to buy an outfit.
“For some people, this might be the one time they get to wear a fancy formal dress and really get this full experience,” Wissner said. “It’s nice to be able to give them the opportunity to do that.”…