Brides-to-be left in wedding limbo as dress shops close, with customers only finding out by social media and a note taped to the door

•  Hannah Powell from Swansea paid £1,000 towards her wedding dress
• Have you also lost out following the closure of Allison Jayne’s bridal shop? If so, email [email protected]

A bridal shop that has been serving south wales for half a century has closed down overnight leaving several women fearing their will not receive their dresses ahead of their big day. 

Hannah Powell, 29, paid a £1,000 deposit on a dress from Allison Jayne’s bridal shop in Swansea ahead of her wedding in France in May 2024. 

However, over the weekend, Ms Powell, who works at the Marketing Department of Swansea University, discovered the shop, which had been in business for 51 years had closed down overnight and all of the stock – including her dress – had been removed from the premises. 

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Powell said she was ‘gutted because it’s the only dress I loved’. 

A note on the window of the shop said: ‘It is with regret that we have to notify all customers that our business has closed today, November 4, 2023. 

Hannah Powell, 29, paid a £1,000 deposit on a dress from Allison Jayne’s bridal shop in Swansea ahead of her wedding in France in May 2024. Now she has been left in limbo after the shop closed without warning on Saturday night

The Allison Jayne Bridal store in Cardiff, pictured, closed without warning on Saturday 

The Swansea store, pictured, was also closed down without any advanced warning 

The firm blamed Covid 19 lockdowns and the sluggish economy for the decision to close down

‘This is despite our best efforts to continue trading, however, the wedding sector has struggled to recover from Covid lockdowns and the current economic conditions. 

‘It has been our honour and pleasure to serve thousands of bridges and their guests for over 51 years.’ 

According to Ms Powell, she had spent several months searching for the perfect dress for her upcoming nuptials. She said she was due to receive the dress ahead of the wedding in May. 

She said: ‘There was a piece of paper on the front door saying “we’re closed as of 4 November”. There’s not a single item left in the shop. I just feel really shocked and sad,” she said.

‘Over £1,000 has completely gone, we still have the rest to pay but I don’t know if I’ll get the dress and if not I’m not sure we’ll get the money back.’

Customers at the Cardiff store, pictured, can see that the entire stock has been removed 

Ms Powell said she received a call from the shop from a withheld number on Monday but had no way of contacting them back. 

She said she had not taken out an wedding insurance when preparing for her big day and fears she will not receive a penny back from the supplier. 

here is no sign on the door of the Cardiff branch in The Friary, but the shop’s interior is completely empty with no dresses in sight. On the business’s website, there is also mention of a Bristol branch in Queens Road, The Tiangle, Clifton.

In response to the situation at Allison Jayne, other local businesses have offered their support to brides. Bridalwear stores including Newport-based All About Eve Ltd and Cariad Bridal of Swansea have posted online to offer help to people affected. A post on All About Eve Bridal Ltd’s Facebook page said they could liaise on a bride’s behalf to find out the status of their gowns and called the closure a ‘devastating time’.

MailOnline has approached Allison Jayne for a comment.  

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