Distressed brides catch gown help

Wedding Dress Bridal Bridal shops in the area are being inundated with panicky bridestrying to salvage weddings in the wake of the closure of SpecialDays Bridal and Tuxedo Store in Modesto. "It's devastating, being a first-time bride," said Valerie Lopez ofCeres, who was at Mira Bridal Couture in downtown Modesto onFriday, hoping to get dresses for her bridesmaids in time for herSept. 13 wedding. "I cried all night," she said, after learningThursday that Special Days had closed without delivering thedresses that had been paid for. Shop owner Mira Jantz was trying Friday to turn tears into smiles,with some success. "We are in the process of tracking down all the orders, to get themerchandise shipped directly from the designers to the brides,"Jantz said. The downside is that in many cases the vendor didn't get paid, sothe wedding party will have to pay for the dresses again. Jantz said she was offering substantial discounts and would be openSunday to try to help Special Days customers. Bridal parties shouldbring copies of their receipts and any pictures they may have ofthe dresses they ordered, she said. Laurie Stortz said she was paying a second time for all thebridesmaids dresses for her daughter Stephanie's wedding in October-- eight dresses at $160 each. "Luckily it will all work out. Butit is a lot of money out-of-pocket," she said. Melissa Bylow of Manteca spent the day visiting bridal shops beforefinding a substitute wedding dress at Mira Bridal. She said shelost $1,200 on her wedding dress at Special Days. "I'm very lucky. My mother-in-law is very supportive. She will payfor the second dress," Bylow said. She is hoping to get the creditcharge for the first dress reversed, although she has paid thebill. "There are options," said Judy Stark of Wedding Center USA onScenic Drive in Modesto. "Manufacturers are real sensitive to this situation; it's notuncommon," Stark said. The manufacturers are interested in helpingthe brides, and Stark said the brides should contact the dressmanufacturers. The bride should determine whether the dress order was placed, andif so, if the manufacturer can still deliver it, Stark said. If the dress wasn't ordered, a bridal party can contactmanufacturers that have a "super rush" service or dresses ininventory that can be sent within weeks, or in some cases withindays, according to Stark. The key is finding a reputable bridal shop that will work with themanufacturers to get a rush order through, she said. If customers paid with a credit card, they should contact thecredit card company as soon as possible to try to get the chargesreversed, she said. Tammy Drobnick of Oakdale, who is getting married Aug. 30, said herwedding party lost about $2,000 in the Special Days closing. Thebridesmaids dresses, paid for several months ago, had never beenordered, she said. Je T'Aime Bridal and Tuxedo Wear in Modesto helped her pick up thepieces, Drobnick said. "They've been awesome. I'll get my dressnext Friday or Monday, and they put a rush order on my girls'dresses. They've given me discounts," she said. Wedding Center USA also has been trying to help brides recover,Stark said. "It's awful. I've had people call me in tears. A lot of thesebrides are under so much stress. They just want to get theirdresses and get married and get it over with." Stark advised brides to pay with a credit card and keep thereceipts. They should ask the store for the terms and conditions ofthe sale, including the store's liability if there is a problem. The Modesto Police Department has gotten several calls from SpecialDays customers, according to Sgt. Craig Gundlach. "We have decided to go ahead and take reports, and a detective willdetermine if it warrants an investigation," Gundlach said. Stanislaus County Assistant District Attorney Carol Shipley saidher office would have to look at each case individually todetermine whether a crime took place. Otherwise, the situationappears more civil than criminal, she said. One issue, Gundlach said, might be whether the shop owner knew theshop was going to close and still took money from customers. Special Days owner Keith Farish said Thursday that all the orderswere placed, although several brides disputed that. Farish said he knew customers were calling the Police Department,and added, "There were no malicious acts, nothing intentional."Without his attorney's approval, Farish said, "I can't tell you alot."