Our Story For 5 generations, the Carlisle's family and staff have helped area women prepare for their wedding day. It's no wonder then that Carlisle's has become a Pittsburgh wedding tradition for so many families. Grover Cleveland was serving as the 22nd President of the United States when Sophia Carlisle opened her small business on the North Side of Pittsburgh, in what was then known as the city of Allegheny. The year was 1888. At the time,  Mrs.Carlisle had no way of knowing that four family generations would carry on her work, and that her business would one day be recognized as America's Oldest Bridal Salon.                                           Hats were an important part of every woman's wardrobe before the turn of the last century, and custom millinery for weddings and special occasions became a mainstay of the business. Sophia Carlisle was an expert milliner, but when she took on a young teenager named, Marie, as an apprentice, little did she realize that the girl would one day marry her son, Irwin, and that Marie would continue designing custom headpieces and veils at Carlisle's for the next seventy five years. The store prospered under Marie's oversight until her passing at age ninety two. In the late 1930's specially designed dresses for the bride were beginning to appear in the fashion markets, and Mrs. Carlisle's grandson, Harold Stokely, quickly realized that these fashions were a natural extension of the store's established wedding trade. Harold introduced Pittsburgh women to the latest in wedding and formalwear styles by holding weekly fashion shows at various locations, and he quickly became the area's leading expert on wedding fashions. As television started coming into its own as a communications medium,  locally produced variety and talk shows were quite popular. For his part, Mr. Stokely quickly became a favorite guest of Channel 11's (now WPXI) talk show legend, Alice Weston. As a result of these efforts, Carlisle's developed a reputation throughout the region as "the engaged girl's store."    Mrs. Carlisle's great-grandaughter, Betty Workman, started learning the business in 1966, and a few years later she brought her daughter, Jan, to Carlisle's to work in the stock room. Today, both are still active, Betty, as the firm's President, and Jan Winner (the great-great-granddaughter of Sophia Carlisle), as Store Manager. Of course, as time change, so do the needs of customers. Unlike those of generations past, today's bride is quite likely a full-time professional woman who is living indendently from her parents. As a result, the personal effort needed to plan her wedding has increased, even as her available time has waned. Appreciation of this fact led the Carlisle's family to embrace the next big step in the store's evolution.  In December 2001, Carlisle's moved from its historic North Side facility, to its new location in the Big Day Wedding & Event Center in Pittsburgh's dynamic Strip District. The Big Day Center is the area's first wedding mini-mall. Inside, brides will find wedding professionals showcasing a variety of merchandise and services, including photography, flowers, tuxedos, travel, limousines, entertainment, and - of course - wedding fashions from Carlisle's.   "The move was all about convenience for our customers", says Carlisle's President, Betty Workman. "We think that brides really appreciate the chance to shop at all of these fine vendors in a single visit. Although we were quite comfortable at our prior location, we know that the change was a big plus for our brides." As a result, America's oldest bridal salon, is now part of one of America's newest wedding and event centers. No doubt, the "engaged woman's store" will continue to be a part of the Pittsburgh wedding tradition.         .