Every Saturday, they travel to this gritty town in search of the perfect wedding dress, the most dazzling tiara, the tastiest cake.

Against a backdrop of industry, railroad tracks and warehouses — an unlikely setting for a "Bridal Row" — they move from one shop to the next, family and bridesmaids in tow, skipping over cracked sidewalks and checking off items as they plan their dream weddings.

In Reading, Ohio's Bridal District, 31 stores cater to future brides' every desire.

The shops attract brides from all over the country, as well as from overseas, including celebrities.

And while it might seem out of place in an older, industrial town, the hustle-and-bustle has made Reading the envy of other business-starved downtowns in nearby small cities, none of which has been able to capitalize on a "niche" market.

"If the Bridal District wasn't there, (stores in Reading's historic downtown) wouldn't be as successful as they are," said Linda Fitzgerald, the city's economic development consultant.

Consider:

• Bridal & Formal carries 4,000 bridal dresses — more than any competitor in the United States, they say — and stocks such designers as Vera Wang, Amsale, Reem Acra and Lazaro. Last year, the National Bridal Market Association recognized it as the nation's best bridal store.

On one recent day, the store sold dresses to women from California, Arizona and Idaho and shipped gowns to Crete and Lithuania.

• Paris has sold hairpieces to supermodel Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and actresses Jenny McCarthy, Kirstie Alley and Peri Gilpin.

One recent Saturday, Joann Evans, 60, of Milford, Ohio, was giddy at finding the perfect dress for her daughter, Cindy.

"This was the first place. The first day we came. And the first dress she put on," Evans said. "I'm amazed. I've never been any place like this. To me, this is overwhelming."

Although the shops generate a fraction of the city's annual $4.1 million in earnings-tax revenues, they have created a buzz that business leaders consider priceless.

"There is a real future for our business district with some major business contributors moving in, all because of the synergy that's been created by the bridal district," said Jim Stewart, president of the Reading Chamber of Commerce.

Reading's friendly, small-town atmosphere is part of what has kept the businesses here, merchants say.

"I love the city," said Tina Gutierrez, who brought her European Bridal and Classic Bride shops here 14 years ago. "The city government is really small, so you know the council members by name. They want to work with you. They want to see business succeed."

Bridal & Formal was the district's "pioneer," opening behind a veterinarian's office in 1979.

"To have such a neat little industry in a neat little town is really a testament to this area," co-owner Andy Star said. "Some places are known for antiques. We're known for bridal. Reading is coming to terms with that. They weren't too sure about it at first. But now they realize how much business this brings to the community."

Success isn't measured just by a balance sheet, though, but by the number of smiles flashed in shops and restaurants.