RICHARDSON – By 12:50 p.m. Sunday, nearly 100 young women stood outside the shop doors, accompanied by their mothers, grandmothers, bridesmaids-to-be and a few fathers and fiancés. They were waiting for the clock to strike 1.

ELIZABETH M. CLAFFEY/DMN

In the Dallas area's first-ever 'running of the brides,' nearly 100 young women searched through some 200 designer gowns from Addison's Circle Park Bridal, all priced at $99. The gowns usually retail from $349 to nearly $1,000.

And when the big wooden doors of the wedding venue opened, in they came – running and grabbing wedding dress after wedding dress in the Dallas area's first-ever "running of the brides."

Sunday's four-hour event hosted by Cappella Court featured some 200 designer gowns from Addison's Circle Park Bridal, all priced at $99. The gowns usually retail from $349 to nearly $1,000. But none of the brides could preview the gowns and accessories in what was strictly a cash and carry event.

The dress derby is a well-known event in the East annually hosted by Filene's Basement, said Andrea Porter, owner of Circle Park Bridal and organizer of the Richardson event.

It was an opportunity that 21-year-old Krista Trietley, a college student from Arlington, couldn't pass up. She already has a dress picked out but wanted to try on a few more.

"I just want to make sure it's the right one," she said.

She and two of her bridesmaids – Carla Freeman and sister Heather Trietley – were the first in line at Cappella Court. They staked out their spot at 10 a.m.

Most of the young maidens came with family and friends who were in charge of finding dresses while the brides-to-be quickly stripped down to sports bras and shorts.

Calls of "Grab a size 8," "Do you like it? Yes, just grab it," and "I said no tulle!" could be heard above the fracas as bridezillas shimmied in and out of dozens of dresses.

And with only a few dressing rooms and a handful of available mirrors, space was tight.

So were a few of the dresses, but as the seconds ticked by, friends and family strapped, cinched and squished their brides into gown after gown.

Sachse resident Melissa Ellis and her daughter Christine Ellis quickly grabbed a handful of A-line gowns and staked out a corner.

But that didn't stop one gown grabber from trying to nab a few from their stash.

"These are ours," Melissa Ellis told the woman, who quickly scampered away to another rack.

The Ellises, like many of the participants, couldn't pass up the chance to buy designer duds at a fraction of the cost.

Christine Ellis, 19, and her fiancé, Jason Rumenapp, an Army private, were engaged on Christmas Eve last year. He's now serving in Iraq while Christine and her mother are busily planning a wedding for April 4, 2009.

They've got plenty of time. But as any bride will tell you, the gown is the most important part of the process.

"The dress makes the whole ceremony," the elder Ms. Ellis said.

Dinma Irozuru and her 5-year-old daughter Jasmine Hunter claimed a place in front of a free-standing ornate mirror. She's planning for her ceremony in November and isn't quite sure what gown to get yet.

"Whatever looks right," she said as her bridesmaids bade her not to move and to hold still while they fastened buttons and eyehooks.

For Kim Parker of Irving, the event was something special she wanted to share with her 19-year-old daughter, Karen Willett.

She was hoping her daughter would find a gown at an affordable price to keep the ever-growing wedding budget down.

Luckily for her, Ms. Willett tried on a beautifully embroidered, strapless dress that fit her precisely.

"It just felt perfect," said Ms. Willett, who had tried on a similar dress elsewhere priced at $600. "This is the one I want."