Synonymous with Morgantown: Coni & Franc, Hotel Morgan

2 THE DOMINION POST WEDDING PLANNER SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021

Synonymous with Morgantown: Coni & Franc, Hotel Morgan give local [email protected]

COVID-19 made changes for everyonein 2020, and brides were not excluded.With hopes for a more normal 2021 on thehorizon, The Dominion Post decided tocontinue with a decades-old tradition ofpublishing a Wedding Planner.

This year, we brought models from Coni& Franc to the newly remodeled Hotel Mor-gan for a special photo shoot in February.

For more than 38 years, Morgantowncouple Connie and Frank Merandi havedressed brides and their attendants in thefinest gowns.

Coni & Franc is a full-service boutiqueoffering everything from bridal gownsand jumpsuits to lingerie.

Connie Merandi said Coni & Francpurchases clothing lines customers won’tsee at any other shop in West Virginia.

According to the website, designersthe boutique carries include Pronovias,Nicole Espose, Madi Lane, JasmineBridal, PRIVE by Jasmine Bridal, Moon-light Bridal, Calla Blanche, AdriannaPapell, Bill Levkoff, Christina Wu, JadeCouture, Jovani, Tarik Ediz, Alberto

Makali, Nicole Bakti, Mon Cheri, EcruStyle, Buki, Lilla P, White Warren, JosephRibkoff, Anidene, Mary Frances, DavidTutera Embellish, Zenzii, Sondra Robertsand Susan Shaw Jewelry

“We have clients who have been withus since the beginning,” she has said. “Wehave four generations that come in. Wehave people from children to elegantladies in their 90s. We dress them all.”

The couple attended West VirginiaUniversity. Connie received her bache-lor’s degree in fashion merchandisingand design with a minor in business.Frank graduated with a bachelor’s inmarketing and business.

“When we met, we decided we wantedto start either a restaurant or a clothingboutique, whichever came first,”Merandi said for a previous article. “T heclothing (opportunity) came first.”

Shortly after the store opened in 1983,the two were married.

Store hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday by appointment.

Coni & Frank is at 422 High St., Mor-gantown. Follow it on Facebook at Coni &

Franc or online at www.coniandfranc.net.Appointments can be made on the web-page or by calling 304-292-1111.

The landmark Hotel Morgan is openfor business, and was the perfect back-drop for this year’s Wedding Plannerbridal shoot.

The 96-year-old structure is almost a com-pletely different place from less than twoyears ago, when it was purchased in Novem-ber 2019 by the Thrash Group of Hattiesburg,Miss. It’s the first property in West Virginiafor Thrash Group, which is known for itsmixed-use projects across the country.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be part ofthe community,” Robert Mickey, thehotel’s general manager, has said.

“The old girl is looking pretty good,”Karen Forsythe, the hotel’s director ofsales, said in a previous interview.

Of special interest to many brides willbe the 3,600-square-foot ballroom beingrenovated on the hotel’s top floor. It willinclude an inside bar and covered out-door bar with four bathrooms. Forsythesaid that space will be used as a weddingvenue and should be ready by late sum-mer or early fall.

It’s been dubbed the Monarch Ball-room, and Forsythe said she’s alreadygotten inquiries about renting it.

There is a two-story, 3,200-square-footballroom on the first floor, complete witha fireplace.

Hotel Morgan is at 127 High St., indowntown Morgantown. Find it online atwww.hotelmorgan.com. Contact staff viaphone or email at 304-292-8200 or info@hotelmorg an.com.

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On the cover:Hailey Geigerwears a CalleBlanche embroi-dered and embel-lished gown withostrich feathersscattered at thegown hem andtrain. Crystaledveiling andheadpiece byMystic 31.William Wotring/

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We Deliver!We Deliver!

SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021 WEDDING PLANNER THE DOMINION POST 3


Symone Lane rests on a sofa in The HotelMorgan Breezeway, wearing anasymmetrical-style gown featured in theMadi Lane Collection. The draped jersey,one-shoulder gown with chapeltrain is accented by pastel blue elbow-length gloves.

William Wotring/The Dominion Post


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Models show off a variety of gowns available atConi & Franc.



GabriellaJohnson wearsa Tarik Edizinformal crepegown withcutout designson theromantic lacesleevesaccented byfemininebows.William Wotring/

The Dominion Post

Rebekah Rose wears Cecilby Pronovias. The lace,off-the-shoulder, bellsleeve, column gownalso has a sheer net lace-embellished train.William Wotring/The Dominion Post

8 THE DOMINION POST WEDDING PLANNER SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021 SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021 WEDDING PLANNER THE DOMINION POST 9

Symone Lane wears aTarik Ediz bias-cut silkcharmeuse columngown, embellished with3-D golden leaves andivory silk charmeuseflowers on flesh-colorednet bodice and plungingback. A Paradox Pinkshoe with crystal detailsits on the dressingtable. Her fresh floralbouquet reflected inthe mirror is byCoombs Florist.


Rebekah Rose models a sparkleblack taffeta gown by Tarik Ediz with

over-the-elbow black matte satingloves. The portrait collar andcinched-waist gown features a

wrap skirt revealing a slit to allowmovement. Dramatic brides wear

black with style.Wiliam Wotring/The Dominion Post


Hailey Geigerwears a sculptedoff-the-shoulder,long sleeved, silkfaille A-line gownwith pearls cover-ing the entirepiece, by Nicole.William Wotring/The

Dominion Post

Gabriella John-son wears a LaPerla art deco-inspired pat-terned lace fulllength gownwith detachableoff-the-shoulderstraps.William Wotring/

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Symone Laneis lovely in aTarik Edizoff-the-shoulderpuff sleeve lacegown withhydrangea motifdesign on theskirt and train.Her bouquetis by CoombsFlorist.William Wotring/

The Dominion Post

Rebekah Rose wears a strapless, multi-layered netconfection from La Perla. It has a warm underliningthat comes through the ball-gown skirt in a soft rose.The moonstone and crystal headwrap and earringsare by Mystic 31.


Abby Myerslounges in a fittedgown featuring aseparate slip withlace overlay andcrystal belting. Onher shoulders is aFabulous Furslush fur-like wrap.Her “Happily EverAfter” clutch is byMary Francis.William Wotring/

The Dominion Post

Symone Lane wears a sparklinginformal dress by Stella EveningGowns.



Symone Lane wears a satin and clipped net,fit-and-flair Calle Blanche gown, giving therumba skirt and train a flip and spin.



Gabriella Johnson wears a Princess Grace-inspired Pronovias gown of high-necked lace withbuttons at the neck, cap sleeves and sweepingball gown skirt. Earrings, headpiece and veiling byMystic 31. Red rose bouquet and scattered petalscreated by Coombs Florist.William Wotring/The Dominion Post


Hailey Geiger twirls in The Hotel Morgan marble-flooredballroom, wearing a Calla Blanche off-the-shoulderbridal gown with softly flowing floral embroidered skirt.William Wotring/The Dominion Post


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Synonymous with Morgantown: Coni & Franc, Hotel Morgan