Dream wedding has become a nightmare

3:51pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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BASILDON brides-to-be are sweating over their big days after a wedding shop went out of business.

Wedding Day Belles in South Walk closed down at the weekend - with 14 women still waiting for their dresses.

Linda Rogers, 25, of Caister Drive, Pitsea, was so worried she would not get her £800 gown in time for her August wedding, she took matters into her own hands.

As police watched, she helped herself to a dress of the same value during the store's closing down sale on Saturday.

Officers mediated while the owner and Miss Rogers agreed she would take the replacement dress and return it to police if her ordered dress arrives.

John and Julie Gearing, who ran the shop, have vowed to deliver all orders despite facing financial ruin.

Mr Gearing, 49, of Oakhurst Drive, Wickford, said: "We have lost everything, but these brides won't have lost anything because we have borrowed money from a relative to ensure we can fulfill every order."

Mrs Gearing, 48, added: "We wanted to make sure they have their dresses because otherwise I couldn't sleep at night."

Mr Gearing said the couple might lose their home and have to file for bankruptcy after investing their life savings in the business, which opened in November 2006.

Documents obtained by the Echo show the shop's accounts are overdue and it now faces being struck off by Companies House. Dad-of-two Mr Gearing said rental costs - which soared from £25,000 a year to £34,000 - and poor sales led the shop to shut.

He said: "We needed to sell three to four dresses a week to break even, but we were selling that a month.

"People just aren't getting married and people are getting dresses a lot cheaper on the internet.

"We thought this would provide us with a pension, but we have lost everything."

Miss Rogers had still not received her ivory gown from the shop a month after it was due to arrive.

Although she now has a replacement she may have to change her colour scheme, costing nearly £1,000 extra, if her original frock does not turn up as promised.

She said: "I don't really wear dresses and this was my dream wedding outfit. The whole thing has been a complete nightmare, I've hardly slept."

• Mr and Mrs Gearing are trying to track down a woman called Carrie-Anne who paid for her dress for an August wedding.

Her outfit has arrived but theyhave no contact details for her.

Anyone who knows her or has any queries about their dresses can contact the Gearings on 07964 734839.