Alfred Angelo's closing forces bride-to-be to begin new wedding dress search

Left at altar? Store bankruptcy leaves brides in the lurch

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Talk about adding to the stress of planning a wedding. 

A Jacksonville bride-to-be told News4Jax on Wednesday that she has to start the search for the perfect wedding dress all over again -- just two months before her big day. 

Her story, just like thousands of other women's, comes just days after Alfred Angelo Bridal stores nationwide closed with zero warning. 

Alfred Angelo Bridal filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in Florida on Friday. The dress retailer, which has 60 stores nationwide and sells at 1,400 other locations, has its headquarters in Delray Beach.

The sudden closing has created more bridezillas than usual. Many brides-to-be took to social media to express their frustration and hope that they could still get their dresses.

Ty McKenzie said she's upset because the closing has also overshadowed the joy of planning her wedding. 

"I have to start all over again," McKenzie said. "It throws the plans off. It throws the finances off. So it definitely throws it off with what I had in mind."

When her boyfriend of four years solidified his love before their friends and family, McKenzie described it as a day like none other. 

"I was helping him with the event, promoting the event," she said. "I didn't realize that the last song was an original and at the end of it, he proposed."

Four years in a relationship turned into months of planning and then a day of bliss -- trying on dresses at the bridal mega-chain Alfred Angelo.

"(I) did the whole thing with the veil and a belt and the accessories," McKenzie said. "It was absolutely perfect."

She found her dream dress, put down a deposit and put in the order right away. But McKenzie said her world was turned upside down on Friday, when she heard the business was permanently closing its doors -- leaving customers in the dark.

"My heart dropped. I didn't even get out of the car. My fiance got out of the car, went to the door," McKenzie said.

McKenzie said she reached out to the store's attorneys, who told her they had received 7,000 emails but could not guarantee a resolution. Now, just two months before her black tie wedding, she's out the deposit on her $1,200 dress, and starting over with hopes of finding that dream dress, again.

Luckily, McKenzie said, she has some sweet bridesmaids who have set up other bridal appointments for her, and she'll begin her search this weekend. 

Alfred Angelo's website now reads: 

"Alfred Angelo filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 14, 2017. As a result, all Alfred Angelo stores, corporate offices and Alfred Angelo wholesalers are closed. Margaret Smith is the Court appointed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee. If you wish to be contacted regarding your order status, please send an email to alfredangelo@mjstrustee.com. In your email, please include your order number, name as it appears on your order and the location of your purchase. We will post additional information regarding the status of pending orders on this website as it becomes available or otherwise contact you as we receive more information regarding your purchase.

"We apologize for the inconvenience and hardship resulting from this event. We appreciate your patience. Thank you."

Other national chains are also trying to help out, discounting dresses by as much as 30 percent, for affected customers.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.