Alfred Angelo Bridal’s abrupt closure prompts panic among bridal parties

FORT MYERS, Fla. The sign on the door says it all.

The Alfred Angelo Bridal store at 5037 South Cleveland Ave., along with hundreds of others, suddenly closed its doors for good Thursday to the surprise of bridal parties.

“They called my bridesmaids this morning and I get frantic phone calls,” said Cassidy, a bride who didn’t want to reveal her last name. “My dress isn’t in the store and so I call and she’s like, ‘I can’t tell you anything…but I still have three other bridesmaids without dresses.”

Dozens of other brides and bridesmaids received similar phone calls.

“I started out this morning all excited today marked, I got 100 more days ’til my wedding, you know, so I’m excited.” bride Nancy Lofton said. “Then my best friend texts me, ‘Call me ASAP.” She said the store called her and said she needed to pick up her dress by 8 because they’re closing.”

Although the store didn’t have Lofton’s dress, they were able to give her a sample dress.

However, many others walked out empty-handed.

“I don’t know how we’re supposed to get dresses if they don’t even know where they are,” bridesmaid Kristi Lescher said.

The store gave customers a slip of paper with the corporate number and an attorney’s number.

Customers can contact the attorney’s office at 305-789-3553 and the corporate office at 888-218-0044.

Neither the attorney nor the corporate offices could be reached for comment.