A crowd of nervous brides-to-be shouted, whistled and clapped as Tynesha Hamilton, 27, walked out of a dark Patchogue bridal store yesterday wearing a smile and carrying a white satin dress in her arms.
Hamilton, of Patchogue, was one of about 30 women who waited up to five hours yesterday outside Bridal Suite, a wedding-attire company that shut down earlier this week. The customers, some who said they were getting married within a week, had ordered their dresses months earlier. All said they'd paid a deposit of half the cost. Only a handful got their dresses.
Hamilton, who placed her order last August and paid a $374 deposit, said her dress was scheduled to arrive in June. She still hadn't received her dress when she heard a news report Tuesday night that the bridal store had closed.
"I couldn't sleep all night," said Hamilton, whose wedding is Sept. 10. "I was absolutely shocked."
Kathy Drew, 32, wasn't as fortunate. The Holtsville bride, who took time off work to wait four hours with her fiance, Denis Karcic, and two bridesmaids, met with two former store employees who voluntarily helped out yesterday, only to leave without knowing if her dress had even been ordered.
"I imagined a limo breaking down but I never expected problems with the dresses," said Drew, who ordered 10 dresses in April for her Oct. 8 wedding.
Karcic, 33, of West Hempstead, said an employee who had been laid off called him and other customers earlier this week to warn them the store would soon close due to financial problems. He told them the water and electricity had already been shut off, Karcic said.
The two former employees used flashlights to talk with customers two at a time and kept the doors locked. They declined to comment.
Beatrice Piccola, the owner, posted an unsigned letter on the front door, saying she had retired early due to "unforeseen circumstances beyond my control." Piccola opened Bridal Suite in 1985.
Bridal Suite is working with Wedding Center in Commack to complete the pending orders. Bob, the owner of Wedding Center who did not want his last name identified, said roughly 200 customers are waiting on the status of their gowns.
You know, I don't know if that's allowed... For me to show you what I look like in the dress before the wedding. Maybe just pictures of the dress will have to do!
I bet you look just gorgeous.
