At first glance, the room inside The Church of the City in Franklin looked like a typical boutique or department store with hundreds of gowns hanging from racks.
However, this store was unlike any other, and Franklin High School Senior Alli Koehler was about to find out why.
She was greeted by a personal shopper and headed to the racks to look for a dress for one of the biggest days in high school -- prom.
However, the dresses don't have price tags on them. Every dress was donated. Many ladies had a voucher to get one for free. For the ladies who didn't have a voucher, they were able to buy one for just $20 for a long dress or $10 for a short one.
In its sixth year, Love the Dress was the brainchild of Mindy Hooper.
"I was at the time a high school teacher, saw the need of a lot of girls not being able to afford a dress saying, 'Well I'm just not going to go to prom.' I went, 'Oh, we can't have this happen,'" said Hooper.
Three hundred to 500 young ladies from across Williamson County registered to be a part of the shopping experience, but it was open to everyone.
"Poverty can hit at any time, parents lose jobs, and so anybody can come," Hooper explained.
Shoppers can also purchase accessories and shoes, everything they need for prom.
Alli found her perfect dress.
"It's a little unique," she said. "It's kind of purple and red but it changes color I think with the lighting, and it kind of looks blue at the same time."
She's ready for prom and has planned on celebrating with her friends, and she'll look bargain beautiful when the big day comes.
"That's the best part. It's a good deal," she said.
All the money made at Love the Dress is donated to GraceWorks Ministries in Franklin. They're always in need of plus size gowns as well as size 0 gowns.
For anyone who would like to learn more, you can visit them online by clicking here.
