Dozens of brides-to-be have lost thousands of dollars and are without a dress for their big day after a popular bridal shop suddenly closed.
Elizabeth Lyndon-James, owner of NOA Bridal, emailed her customers on Tuesday to let them know that her North Perth boutique was closing its doors because she was “heavily” in debt.
In shocking news for brides who had already paid a deposit or the full amount, Mrs Lyndon-James added that she had filed for bankruptcy and could no longer deliver the wedding dresses she had already ordered.
“If I could give anything else, I would,” she wrote.
However, I have now reached a point where there are no further options or resources available.
Customer Melissa McPhail now claims she was approached by Ms Lyndon-James three months ago to say that her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis made it an ‘incredibly difficult’ decision to go to the store. The Western Australian reported.
“Bridal is something I have loved immensely and thought I would do forever. However, with my mobility becoming increasingly limited and it only getting worse, I can no longer continue to run NOA Bridal,” the email to Ms. McPhail read.
Mrs Lyndon-James assured her that her dress, which had been paid for in full last November, would still be sent to her tailor for alteration.
Noah Bridal Boutique in Perth (pictured) has filed for bankruptcy, leaving brides scrambling for dresses for their wedding
Some brides have lost thousands of dollars after finding out their order was never placed and their deposit never received by wedding dress designers (photo of a bride)
Mrs McPhail was ‘super, super sympathetic’ because her sister-in-law also has the disease.
But when the bride-to-be received Tuesday’s email, she contacted the fashion designer and discovered that her dress had been ordered, but they had never received a deposit, let alone the full amount.
Fortunately, Mrs. McPhail was able to purchase the dress again, this time directly from the designer for next year’s wedding, but she is out $10,000.
Another bride, Mandy Hopper, paid NOA Bridal $6,000 for her New Year’s Eve wedding dress, which was supposed to be delivered the following month, but had not yet arrived less than six months before her big day.
Mrs. Hopper called the designer directly and was told there was no record of her order or payment.
“My partner will say, ‘Get another one, that’s fine, I’ll work harder on it, that’s fine,’ and I’m like, that’s not the point, the point is I just burned through $6,000,” she said.
It is not known whether the brides-to-be will get some of their money back (the photo shows a wedding dress)
Andrew Bell of the Bankruptcy Advisory Centre has confirmed that Noa Bridal, which was founded in Margaret River in 2021, has filed for bankruptcy.
He warned that the process could take “six to 12 months” before it becomes clear whether customers can get their money back.
Brides and family members expressed their dismay on social media, with many complaining about the money they lost.
‘[Mt daughter] had already paid for the dress in full in February, but her $5,000 never got through and her order was never passed on to the designer,’ one person wrote.
Daily Mail Australia tried to contact Elizabeth Lyndon-James, but her Fitzgerald Street boutique has closed its website and all social media accounts.