Apr 29, 2008 11:13 pm US/Central
Bridal Shop Owner Says She's Sorry For Closing
COLD SPRING, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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Lori's Bridal and Formal Wear in Cold Spring has apparently closed due to the sluggish economy, leaving wedding dresses and gowns locked inside.
CBS
The woman who owns a bridal shop in Minnesota that closed recently said she's sorry and never meant to hurt anyone.
Lori Parsons talked with WCCO-TV over the phone late Tuesday afternoon from another state. She explained the whole situation and what led up to her making the difficult decision to close her shop, Lori's Bridal and Formal Wear in Cold Spring, Minn.
"I could not win," said Parsons. "And I knew that many people got hurt, but there was no way out of it."
She said she's going through a bitter divorce right now. Her ex-husband, she said, hasn't been paying the mortgage on their home, so it's now in foreclosure.
Parson said her business has been going through tough economic times too. And because of the foreclosure on her home and divorce, she said, she can't refinance her business loan.
Last Friday morning, Parson saw an attorney who immediately told her to lock up her business after 17 years.
"And I didn't want to hurt anybody," said Parsons. "This has been the most painful thing that anybody could ever experience. This was the most painful decision of my entire life."
She's now working with one of her former employees and Phil Jones, the Cold Spring Police Chief, to get 37 wedding dresses to brides-to-be.
"I've gotten a crash-course in wedding 101," said Jones. He and his staff have gotten 150 phone calls from women wanting their dresses.
"Occasionally, we're been able to tell someone we do have their dress. And in a split-second, it's all worth it," said Jones. "They're happy."
His office in downtown Cold Spring has been flooded with calls since the shop closed. Jones hopes he can make a terrible situation a bit better.
"If it was my daughter's wedding, I think it would be very important. So I guess it's worth it to me to go the extra mile," said Jones.
His staff is contacting the 37 women who will get their dresses. Parsons said she's in the process of filing for bankruptcy.
Her attorney is also checking into customers' credit card payments. She thinks that those who will not get back their dresses might be able to contact their credit card companies to get their money back. She expects to send a letter out to all her customers soon.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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