Couples claim that La Belle Boutique, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, was cleared out in the early hours of Sunday, July 21.
One couple, who were planning to get married in November, say they have now decided to cancel their wedding altogether following the news.
Husband-to-be Kevin James, 40, said he and his partner, who didn’t wish to be named, were left heartbroken after having to take the difficult decision, which cost them ‘tens of thousands of pounds’.
He said: ‘It’s absolute chaos. I can’t put it into words that can be printed how we feel about all of this. We are heartbroken, we are disgusted, we feel like we’ve been abused. We feel distraught, lost.
‘My partner went in just two weeks ago and was ready to pay for the bridesmaids’ dresses in full but they didn’t have the right colour – we’ve realized now it was just pure luck.
‘We had to cancel the wedding because my wife told me ‘I can’t deal with this, I’ve planned this for so long and it was supposed to be a big day. I can’t have any other dress, I was supposed to get my dress’.
‘My partner just doesn’t want to speak to anyone anymore because she can’t bear to hear about the wedding. We were going to get married in the woods on November 11 because my partner’s into numerology so 11/11 – we were going to have a dream fairy tale wedding.
‘It’s heart-breaking and the only reason why I’m managing to keep it together is for my wife and all these other ladies who are in the same position.’
It was reported that around 40 women have been affected by the sudden closure.
The couple, who have been together a year and a half, say they were then told the dress would be ready around mid-October, as the manufacturer is located in Australia.
Mr James says he has been in touch with the supplier, who told him they received the order for the dress, but no payment.
The couple received the email regarding the closure in the early hours of Sunday and say the ‘the level of depth of this issue is mind boggling’.
Mr James said: ‘I spoke to a girl outside the shop on Sunday and she said she’d paid for her dress in full £2,000 just two days before we all got the email. It’s astonishing how they’ve done this and think they can get away with it.’
‘When I spoke to Citizens’ Advice, they said their lines have never been this busy with people calling about the same issue. They [the company] didn’t even tell the seamstress about it, she just turned up to work on Sunday morning to do some alterations and found an empty shop.
‘It’s a very strange scenario we’ve found ourselves in.’
The husband-to-be added that he’s been vocal on Facebook about the issue, keeping people updated, with one of his posts reaching more than 400 shares.
Another bride, who also wished to keep her identity private, said her £2,000 dream dress is also nowhere to be found following the closure.
The woman says she met her ‘dream man’ and the couple decided to get married quickly, having been planning their wedding since their engagement in October 2023.
The woman, who is due to get married in October this year, said: ‘I’d been shopping around for a long time to find my dream dress until I found it at La Belle in January. There are so many disheartened people who lost money.
‘I lost money, I lost my dream dress. Because I’m getting married in October, I’m not going to have my dream dress because all dresses are made to order – now I’m just going to have to find one on a shop’s shelf. It’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to be what I want.
‘We’ve been saving for this dress for a long time so we’re disheartened. I don’t know where to go from here, no one knows what to do.’
The woman said her dress was paid for in full in January and ‘there didn’t seem like there were any problems’.
Like Mr James and his wife, she was told her dress would be ready in nine months due to it coming from Australia.
The woman said she then reached out to the new owners of the shop, who reportedly took over in June, to check if her dress was still on the way. She was reassured that it was, and that it was even going to be ready early – in August.
‘I tried contacting them but no one was around. Even the seamstress wasn’t aware of anything,’ said the woman.
She continued: ‘It’s very stressful. I have a couple of months left but have no dress, it’s very concerning. There are brides getting married in six weeks who’ve not got their dresses. It’s disgusting. I just wish we were kept in the loop.
‘But now no one can get in touch with them. It’s outrageous how someone could actually sleep at night knowing that they’re leaving people with no dresses on their big day after paying a lot of money.’
‘I’m a bit anxious about how this is all going to go. You put your trust into someone and give them so much money so it’s shocking that we’re here now.’
Both Mr James and the other bride-to-be have expressed their appreciation for the support received from people on social media, as well as neighbouring bridal shops. Mr James said: ‘There’s a lady who’s put a Facebook post up asking people to donate their wedding dresses to get some of these brides married.
‘The amount of support outpouring from people is mind blowing, it’s so heart warming seeing people come together to source dresses. I want everyone who’s been affected by this to please stick with it and not let it go.’
‘We are not going to stop until we get this sorted. Too many ladies’ lives have been destroyed. We won’t stop until we get compensation.’
The email that was sent to customers on Sunday states: ‘Dear Bride, it is with deep regret and a heavy heart that I must inform you that La Belle Boutique will be closing its doors permanently.
‘In June, I learned that the previous owner was facing significant financial and operational difficulties, and in an effort to preserve this beloved business, I stepped in to try and save it.
‘Unfortunately, not all critical information was disclosed to me during the ownership transfer, which has now created insurmountable challenges, making it impossible for us to continue operations. Over the past month, I have personally and financially supported the business to the best of my ability.
‘I have secured as many dresses as possible to fulfil our commitments, even though we have not received payments for any of these bridal gowns. This situation has been extremely challenging for us, but our priority remains to support you during this difficult time.
‘I understand this news may be distressing and cause considerable concern. However, rest assured, our dedicated team of specialists and I are here to help you navigate this situation and find the best possible solution for your bridal needs.
‘We have made every effort to support the business and move forward despite these overwhelming challenges. Unfortunately, the obstacles were insurmountable, leading to this unfortunate decision to close.
‘It is a sad and difficult time for all of us at La Belle Boutique, and we are deeply upset by the closure and its impact on our valued clients. We wish the previous owner had been more forthcoming with the essential information, which would have allowed us to better address these issues earlier.
‘Despite this, we are fully committed to assisting you in any way we can moving forward and ensuring that you have the support you need during this time.’
It had been alleged on a social media post that the company had gone into liquidation but the company said to have been appointed said in this response: ‘Contrary to social media posts, the Company has not been placed into liquidation and Maria Strong of Strong Anderson has not been appointed liquidator nor have they received formal instructions to take steps to liquidate the Company. Until such instructions are received Strong Anderson is not in a position to deal with or reply to any emails, telephone calls or enquiries regarding the Company.
‘Strong Anderson appreciates this is a difficult time for customers impacted by the announcement on Sunday, but at present customers are advised to contact the Company if they would like further information regarding the operations of the business.’ La Belle Bridal Boutique Limited is still registered as ‘active’ on the government’s website, as of Tuesday (July 23) afternoon.
The current owners of La Belle Boutique have been approached for comment.