(6/19/2019) - Wedding planning for several Bay City-area brides got a lot more stressful after Sempliner's Bridal Salon abruptly closed on Tuesday.
Sempliner's had been in business for about 150 years. Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, the shop's owner, Tim Ward, told employees to leave because he was closing the store for good.
He could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Haley Kowalski, who owns the adjacent Little Shop Boutique, was thrust into helping brides frantically hoping to pick up their dresses.
"The manager of Sempliner's was calling hysterical: The store is getting closed, I have all these dresses can I please put them at your shop," she said.
Kowalski took dozens of dresses, so people have been coming into her shop all day to see if their dresses or tuxedos are here. Many have left with their dresses, she doesn't have tuxedos ordered through Sempliner's.
"The tuxes have been paid for and the groomsmen, and we are just frantic to know what's going to happen," said Deborah Lloyd, whose son is getting married in September. "Do we have to go somewhere else? They are paid for."
Barbara Ezell didn't have dresses or tuxes at Sempliner's, but she had a deposit that she would now like back.
"It is frustrating, because you could have sent out letters and say, 'Well, we are closing, you know. You got a deposit. Come and get your deposit.' But that wasn't even done," she said.
Lori Periard's daughter is getting married next month and fortunately, her dress was at Little Shop Boutique.
"I am very relieved because this was already bought and paid for," she said.
Some other Bay City bridal shops are offering to help Sempliner's customers. Jim's Formal Wear is a contact for people who ordered tuxedos.
But for some, their wedding day plans are in a bit of limbo.
"People are asking my dresses were back ordered, when are they going to come in? Where do I go? What do I do? And I don't have any information to tell them," Kowalski said.