Bridal store Alfred Angelo unable to fulfill open orders

Bridal retailer Alfred Angelo, which declared bankruptcy and abruptly closed more than 60 boutiques nationwide last month, says it no longer has the means to deliver dresses to waiting customers.

The Florida-based company posted a notice on its website alerting customers that it will not fulfill any outstanding orders, leaving many brides in Houston and elsewhere hustling to find new dresses.

“To the extent any order has not been fully delivered to a customer, it shall have to remain unfilled,” the statement said.

The company, which had locations in uptown Houston, Willowbrook and Baybrook, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with the intent to liquidate. Its lengthy list of creditors included hundreds of Houston-area customers.

Monica Carroll paid nearly $2,500 for a crystal-beaded gown that remains locked inside the store on Post Oak Boulevard. She said she didn’t

receive any information about her order prior to the company’s latest announcement.

The hassle prompted her to reschedule her

planned November wedding for a date next year so that she and her fiance will have more time to plan. She plans to begin the hunt for a substitute dress.

“Here we go again,” she said.

In federal bankruptcy court in West Palm Beach, Alfred Angelo acknowledged its attempts to fulfill orders after the store closures. An attorney for the company coordinated several efforts to rescue dresses for brides with

weddings last month.

But the statement on the website said the company no longer has the means to continue deliveries. It encouraged customers to file a claim in bankruptcy court.

“It has now become apparent that the logistical and financial strain of fulfilling each and every open order makes continuing that course of action no longer possible,” it reads.