I’ve always been the type of girl who loves dressing up. When I was little, I fanaticized about being a beautiful princess, and there was nothing I loved more than twirling around in a pretty dress. As prom season approaches, I can’t help but feel that same giddiness. There’s something about finding the perfect dress, shoes and accessories that can’t compete with anything else. Unfortunately, this can get a little bit tricky at times because of my extreme pickiness and need for perfection.

Luckily, I found a remedy. During the fall, I was unsuccessfully searching for a homecoming dress in Birch Run. After a failed mission, my mother and I began to make the trip back home. We stopped to get a snack at a gas station in Bridgeport, and truly stumbled upon a diamond in the rough. Across the street, there was a small building. It appeared grimy, and there were faded signs on the windows offering deals on teeth whitening and homecoming dresses. It looked extremely shady, but because one of its windows boasted a somewhat cute dress, we decided to give Viper Apparel a try.

As we walked up to the building, we joked about the little dress shack, but as we stepped inside, our minds were blown. Inside it was dress heaven. There were hundreds of beautiful dresses of all sizes, styles and colors. There were so many options from good dress brands that I couldn’t help but think I had come upon some sort of miracle.

According to their website, Viper Apparel has been awarded #1 Prom Dress Shop in Michigan, and are the only dress shop in Michigan to offer the “Only Dress Guarantee”, which promises their shoppers they won’t sell the same dress, not even in another color, to anyone else at your event.  I personally vouch for the first place standing, and am glad they give the guarantee, because similar dresses make things a little awkward. The employees were super friendly and offered me dresses they believed would fit my taste and appearance. In no time, I found the perfect dress.

Another thing I love about the shop is that looking for a dress is really a store ordeal. When you come out in the dress you’ve tried on, employees offer possible alterations if you don’t like a specific part of the dress. You also get to see other girls in prom dresses, and it’s fun to see what they choose. The parents of the girls often talk among themselves, and give compliments to all the girls in the store, encouraging them to get the dress that works the best for them. When you find your dress, they ask you ‘Are you saying yes to your prom dress?’ and if your reply is yes, the whole store cheers.

So when I began looking for a prom dress this year, I knew there was only one place to go. My mother and I zipped over to Viper Apparel, and again I was in dress heaven. As we walked in, we reminisced about how we hadn’t known what we were getting ourselves into last year. The employees offered me their same kindness, and even directed me to a new style of dress that I wouldn’t have thought of trying. Because of Viper Apparel and all the lovely people who work there, I found a perfect dress that I love.

While I still believe they could use a little curb appeal, I learned not to judge a book by its cover. I definitely won’t buy a dress for any other event anywhere besides Viper, and I look forward to the next time I visit.