Local brides’ worst nightmare comes true after national dress designer files bankruptcy

The average bride who bought an Alfred Angelo wedding dress lost at least $600, according to a local wedding dress consultant.

At least six brides in mid-Missouri have been affected.

The nationwide bridal company stated on their website: “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.”

Kendra Collard, bridal gown consultant, and Amira Mavarakis, bridesmaid dress consultant, both at Breeze Bridal Boutique in downtown Columbia, said their brides pay half the amount of the wedding dress as a down payment. They said the average cost of the Alfred Angelo wedding dresses they sold were $1,200.

Collard and Mavarakis said as soon as they found out it would affect their brides, they immediately started thinking of solutions.

“We immediately started texting our brides, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got this,'” Collard said.

Collard and Mavarakis said the closing completely shocked them. They said their Alfred Angelo representative called earlier in July and told them the 2018 collection was available if they wanted to order it in advance.

So they signed up for the new collection of bridesmaid dresses, but won’t be receiving them. They already have a full rack of stock dresses that will be hard to sell.

Other designers have stepped up though, Collard and Mavarakis said.

They said some offered free expedited shipping and said they would prioritize the brides who are on a time crunch.

Collard and Mavarakis said they constantly check their emails, just in case their previous Alfred Angelo representative contacts them with answers.