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Alfred Angelo employees worked after store closed for good to help brides

Posted at 4:59 PM, Jul 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-17 11:50:37-04

TULSA -- The road to “happily ever after” now has a few bumps in the road for some brides.

The global wedding dress store, Alfred Angelo, is no longer in business.

A manager at the Tulsa location told 2 Works For You the employees found out Thursday at 10:00 in the morning on a conference call that the entire chain was going bankrupt and closing. Employees  lost their jobs.

Employees said there was no warning. The stores website still advertises dresses for the Fall of 2017.

Some brides said they ordered their dress in the last few weeks and were given no indication that this would be happening.

The manager said they were instructed to close at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Five employees at the Tulsa location, including the manager, returned Friday without pay to help their brides figure out what happens next.

“I feel very bad for them, especially for this company that has put them on the front line and they have kind of forewarned us,” Alex McNatt, a bride who has a dress on order at Alfred Angelo, said. “[The employee] said ‘Please don’t be mad at us.’ “

McNatt and other brides lined up outside the store trying to get answers and pick up dresses and jewelry Friday.

“They said I should be getting my dressed shipped via Fedex but it wasn’t anticipated until October or November, so I’m not sure 100-percent sure what to anticipate if they are going to keep people that long to make the dress,” McNatt said.

While the employees tried to help the customers, they were emotional. They are left without jobs and no severance pay on just a moment’s notice, according to the manager.

“It was really sad. They were all crying. It broke my heart,” Kelsey, a bride picking up her dress, said.

McNatt picked up part of her wedding day ensemble today and is left hoping the rest shows up in time for her February wedding.

For those who do not want to chance it, other stores in Tulsa like David’s Bridal, Facchianos and Bridal Elegance are stepping in to help both brides and the Alfred Angelo employees.

“Deborarh Bryant at Bridal Elegance would love to be able to interview them on the fly and possibly get them right to work,” Stephen Remington with Bridal Elegance said.

Facchianos said they can get a lot of their dresses for brides in seven to ten days. They also know of a manufacturer that can make dresses similar to the ones at Alfred Angelo. 

Remington was handing out flyers to women waiting in line at Alfred Angelo explaining the store had dresses in stock the brides could buy and take home in the same day.

David’s Bridal posted on their Facebook, “We are aware that wedding dress retailer Alfred Angelo Bridal has closed most if not all of its stores, and as a result, brides and bridesmaids may not receive their dress order as expected. We know how much goes into planning a wedding, and want to ensure that everyone affected by this news can still have the day of their dreams. Visit any David’s Bridal location in the U.S. and, upon presentation of your original branded Alfred Angelo retail receipt, receive special discounts on new wedding and bridesmaid dresses.”

The “closed” sign on the door went up at about 2:00 Friday afternoon.

The manager said they planned to leave everything in the store in pristine condition in case a liquidator took over and needed employees. They wanted to be first on the list to be hired.

 

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