Employees at Zelenski's Bridal & Gown Shop in Charleroi have long prided themselves in taking the stress out of finding "the dress."
The one-stop wedding attire shop at 409 McKean Ave. fits just about every need leading up to the big day, according to store consultant Jeffrey Adams.
"It is A to Z, or as we say, A to Zelenski," Adams said. "You can walk in from day one, find your gown or order your gown, then when it is steamed, pressed, altered, or delivered; it's all done right under one roof."
The multi-level operation features fitting rooms, a seamstress section, a layaway area, and a new mirrored runway that gives eager brides a look at every angle of their wedding day wardrobe.
The attention to detail and vision for the overall wedding experience at Zelenski's has made way for generations of loyal customers, Adams said.
"We were used to the fact of people having generations of mothers going, 'I bought my wedding dress here,'" he said. "Now, we're hearing grandmothers saying, 'I bought my wedding gown here. My daughter bought her wedding gown here, and now my daughter or my granddaughter is buying her wedding gown here. That kind of sends chills down your spine."
The staff of 15 at Zelenski's is considerably seasoned.
The business' four seamstresses have close to 150 years of combined experience.
And Adams has been on board since current owner Judy Lucas took over more than 20 years ago.
Adams, a former Neiman Marcus jewelry department manager, is the resident troubleshooter.
"I don't help the girls with their dresses per se. I'm the one whenever they have a situation from videographer, photographer, how to find the right caterer, how to choose the right hall, what day should it be on, should I be wearing long sleeves if I'm getting married in the middle of the summer?" he said. "Every girl says, 'I just want the day to go smoothly.' And when I let them see where the bumps in the road are, they're able to avoid an obstacle and keep their eyes on the goal."
Adams' input comes with no strings attached.
"There's no extra fee for it," he said. "We want to make the girl feel confident and secure that not only is her decision correct, but that every aspect along the way is. Years ago, that's the way it always was."
Zelenski's has been a fixture in the Magic City's downtown business section since 1923, when it opened under the ownership of Alex and Rhoda Zelenski.
"It was originally a fur salon, a high-end lady's clothing salon ... when gas-lit lamps and horse-drawn carriages roamed the area," Adams said. "Somewhere around 50 to 60 years ago, they started to bring in the bridal."
Keeping up with the times is paramount at the bridal business.
"More inventory is coming in all the time because of the multiple manufacturers," Adams said. "Nobody's ever ready all at the same time. Literally, every week there are new dresses coming in.
"We're always thinking six months ahead, because if her wedding is next week, it might as well have been last week."
In terms of variety, Zelenski's has more than 500 items on display.
Adams said Zelenski's has everything to accom-modate "the budget-minded girl to the most extravagant wedding."
"And a person never feels lost or forgotten about or being treated like a number," he added. "Every-body knows everybody by first name."
The customer satisfaction at Zelenski's speaks for itself, and finding that perfect fit for the bride to be is a challenge well worth the reward, Adams noted.
"There's that moment when a girl finds her dress and you see her in the mirrors and she smiles at her mom and goes, 'This is it.' And all of a sudden, you just know that it's all coming together," he said. "I've seen the mothers and daughters cry and hug. That's actually kind of nice.
"Especially, I like when the brides come back after a wedding. Almost 100 percent of the brides come in to show pictures, to say, 'Oh it turned out great.' It's sweet. Maybe that's the icing on the cake."
Versatility is another one of Zelenski's selling points.
"It's where you have just the right person to fit any girl from size 30 to a size 1, from toddlers we've put in little tuxedos to when we actually had a great grandmother 94 years old that still found a dress here," Adams said. "She was the great-grandmother of the bride."
Zelenski's went through major remodeling in 1999.
"It was like modernizing without forgetting where our roots are and keeping it small town service with big city styling," Adams said.
Convenience continues to be the store's most valuable asset, according to Adams.
"Instead of running off to every neighborhood store and driving 50 miles north, in today's world, it's nice to find a place that can do it all," he said.
For Lucas, the reason behind being involved in the wedding apparel business for more than two decades was simple.
"Because it's the funnest business you can be in," she said with a smile.
