Brides left without wedding dresses after bridal shop files for bankruptcy

"I started crying and then I called the store myself and I heard the message. Turns out the message is from the bankruptcy lawyer."

That was Janice Cane's reaction when she learned the store she bought her wedding dress from 4Everly After in Old Town Alexandria suddenly filed for bankruptcy.

Now, dozens of brides have no wedding gowns.

"What happened for me is that even though the store told me they had my dress, it turns out they didn't," said Cane. "So if I had showed up Saturday, even if they were open, I would have discovered they don't have my dress."

FOX 5 reached out to the bankruptcy attorney representing 4Everly After Bridal.

Brian Madden said this in behalf of the store's owner: "She's brokenhearted. She's torn up. She's livid. This business has been her life for the last four years and it's come to an end."

But to the brides with upcoming weddings, that is little consolation.

"I don't know if somebody is getting married," said Cane. "It's Friday, so if somebody's getting married tomorrow, I'm really not sure if they have their dress or not and I feel terrible."

Madden said he is working with the trustee to put those brides on a priority list. Several have already picked up their gowns.

"If they paid for the dress, they own the dress," said Madden. "That's their property even if it's at the shop."

But he admits some brides might not get their dress in time or at all -- like the ones who have paid a deposit, which for wedding gowns can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

"Partial payment is the same thing as whether they haven't paid anything," explained Madden. "If it's just been ordered or they haven't made complete payment, the dress is property of the estate, if we have it. Many of those dresses are still with the designers."

"I got really lucky," said Cane. "Buy your dress from Pronovias if you're getting married. I contacted them and they're shipping it to a different store. I bought it all over again and now I'm hoping I can get my mom's deposit refunded because we already paid a lot of money."

Anyone who has paid in full can contact Madden or the trustee to get their dress. Those who have only made a partial payment will have to file a proof of claim.

Contact information:

Bankruptcy Attorney Brian Madden: 703-533-0101

Klinette Kindred, Trustee: 703-549-5000

Bankruptcy Court Case #15-11566