Dozens of brides-to-be have been left thousands of dollars out of pocket and without a gown for their big day after the sudden closure of a popular wedding boutique.
NOA Bridal owner Elizabeth Lyndon-James emailed customers on Tuesday to say that her North Perth boutique has shut its doors as she was ‘heavily’ in debt.
In shocking news to brides who had already paid a deposit or the full amount, Ms Lyndon-James added that she filed for bankruptcy and could no longer deliver already-ordered wedding dresses.
‘If there were anything left to give, I would,’ she wrote.
‘However, I have now reached a point where there are no further options or resources available.’
Customer Melissa McPhail has since claimed that she was contacted by Ms Lyndon-James three months ago to say that she was making the ‘incredibly hard decision to close the store due to her multiple sclerosis diagnosis,’ The West Australian reported.
‘Bridal is something that I have absolutely loved and thought I would continue forever, but with losing my mobility and the fact that it will only get worse from here I just can’t continue the running (of) NOA Bridal anymore,’ the email to Ms McPhail stated.
She was assured by Ms Lyndon-James that her gown paid for in full last November would still be delivered to her tailor for alterations.
Noah Bridal boutique in Perth (pictured) has filed for bankruptcy, leaving brides to find dresses for their wedding
Some brides have been left thousands of dollars out of pocket after discovering their order was never made and their deposit was never received by wedding dress designers (pictured stock of a bride)
Ms 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 dress designer and discovered her gown had been ordered but they never received a deposit for it, let alone the full amount.
Luckily, Ms McPhail was able to repurchase the dress, this time directly from the designer for next year’s wedding, but has lost $10,000.
Another bride Mandy Hopper paid NOA Bridal $6,000 for her New Year’s Eve wedding dress that was supposed to arrive next month but has left been left without a gown less that six months out from her big day.
Ms Hopper called the designer directly and was told they had no record of her order or any payment.
‘My partner’s just like “buy another one, it’s fine, I’ll work more it’s all good”, and I’m like that’s not the point, the point is I’ve just burned $6,000,’ she said.
It is not known if brides-to-be will receive any of their money back (pictured stock of a wedding dress)
Bankruptcy Advisory Centre’s Andrew Bell has confirmed that Noa Bridal, which originated in Margaret River in 2021, had filed an application for bankruptcy.
He warned that the process could take ‘six to 12 months’ to determine whether customers can be refunded.
Brides and family members have vented on social media, with many lamenting how much money they have lost.
‘[Mt daughter] had paid for the gown in full in February but her $5,000 dollars were never passed on nor was her order to the designer,’ one wrote.
Daily Mail Australia tried to reach out to Elizabeth Lyndon-James but her Fitzgerald Street boutique has shut down its website, as well as all social media accounts.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk