Elizabeth's Bridal Manor in Northville closes after selling thousands of gowns

NORTHVILLE — Elizabeth Clancy's bridal salon has been her pride and joy for nearly 35 years. She says closing it about a month ago felt like the right move for her personal life, but it was still a bittersweet decision.

Her shop, Elizabeth's Bridal Manor at 402 S. Main Street, is well-known in the Michigan bridal scene as a destination dress shop with a reputation for being philanthropic. Over the years, she's sold thousands of wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride dresses and flower girl dresses to women celebrating one of life's biggest decisions. Clancy has also donated many dresses to local theaters and charities.

"Would I do it all again? Absolutely. In a heartbeat," Clancy said. "I love being an entrepreneur. It’s never boring."

Clancy, who went to school for teaching, fell into the bridal business nearly 40 years ago when she ran into a dress seller in a Hilton Hotel dining room. The seller needed some help that weekend, and Clancy took to the business like a fish to water.

"Before you knew it, I opened my own salon in my condo," she said.

Clancy and her late husband, Allan Brown, outgrew their at-home shop in about two years. They bought a house on Main Street in Northville that's served as a store ever since.

"We helped people find the perfect dress without pressure, with complete honesty, with fun, with dedication and with experience," she said. "It’s been very joyful. Everybody asks if we get bridezillas. No, we don’t. You know why? Because we know what we’re doing. You get bridezillas when you keep making mistakes."

Elizabeth's Bridal was a shoes-off business — even now, Clancy elects to walk around the place barefoot — and offered women a fun, safe environment to enjoy some champagne while trying on gowns. Even though the salon is mostly empty now, there are still thank you notes from couples hanging on the walls.

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Some of Clancy's favorite experiences were with people who weren't involved in a wedding at all. Clancy also hosted private appointments for women with a dying mother who wished to see their daughters in a bridal gown.

"I did it twice and it was the best experience of my whole career," she recalled. "These women were not getting married. They were here to try on bridal gowns so their mother could see them in one. I had champagne, a mini wedding cake, flowers and a bouquet for the 'bride.' It was really special."

A personal desire for retirement and a changing business landscape played roles in Clancy's decision to close. She said online retailers and franchises like David's Bridal have impacted small shops like hers. She argues people should continue to support small salons, saying brides will find better quality and better customer service at a small business.

Metro Detroiters will soon have another option to shop for wedding dresses. Clancy sold the house her business was in to Magnolia Laine, a bridal salon with a smattering of locations in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. The Northville store will be the company's only location north of Tennessee.

"I wish them all the luck in the world," Clancy said. "They’re very nice people and I hope Northville will support them the way they’ve supported me. It makes me very, very happy that the house will continue on as a bridal salon."

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Contact reporter Shelby Tankersley at [email protected] or 248-305-0448.