News 12 at 11 o'clock, May 14,2010

AUGUSTA, Ga. --- Imagine the horror of ordering a wedding dress, you go to pick it up and it looks like the store has closed. A lot of customers on wedding deadlines are feeling that pressure in Augusta on Friday night. Several brides found the doors locked at Victoria's Bridal. The shop is located in a shopping center on Fury's Ferry Road and Riverwatch Parkway.

"Yesterday I came up here and I sat in the car for over two hours to wait and see if she was ever going to show up and she never did," said Veronica Joiner, who explained that she went to Victoria's Bridal to check on her wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses. "I have called her many times and she has not been available."

Some of these brides peered into the store, bewildered because the owner of the store is no where to be found. The sign on the door says open until 6pm, but the doors are locked in the middle of the afternoon. There's also messages left by customers wanting to know about their dresses.

"Tuesday of this week is the first time I came and no one was here so that's what prompted me to call her again," added Joiner. "That number is disconnected as of this morning and yesterday I called the cell number and it went directly to her voice mail and it was full you couldn't leave any messages."

Veronica Joiner not only ordered her wedding dress from the store but all of her bridesmaids dresses too. She says money has been paid on all of the dresses.

"I kind of like put pressure on them to make sure they were here on time," said Joiner. "It's really disappointing, it's really making me look like a fool.an idiot to my bridesmaids."

"It is an emotional time and I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of brides got angry," said Ansley Easterline.

Across town a House of the Bride bridal store, customer service is the top priority for Ansley Easterline.

"Brides tend to be emotional," said Easterline. "You go on a roller coaster ride during that time. One minute you are absolutely happy and the next you are nervous as all get out," she said.

Easterline says she's been in the bridal business for years and there's many things that can go wrong when planning a wedding.

"Sometimes dresses don't get ordered, money gets taken to cover overhead expenses, and dresses aren't ordered because dresses have to be paid for," said Easterline.

Easterline said she had not heard that the other bridal store was closing and had no knowledge of any problems there either.

"We'll be happy to help these girls," said Easterline. "If we can contact the vendors or the designers of these gowns and see if they'll work with us so maybe we can get those gowns for the girls we'll be happy to do that."

New12 heard from a family spokesman on Friday night who released this statement on the owner, Victoria Baker's behalf.

"Ms. Baker wants to apologize to the public for the unforeseen closing of her business. Due to a pending divorce, she has been forced to close down the business. She would like her customers to know that she will do everything possible to make sure their wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses, plans and packages are complete. She is taking a few days off to get organized and to regroup. She would like to express her gratitude to all her customers over the last 10 years. She's very sorry about the circumstances she's been forced into."

Customers are asked to leave a message on Baker's business line. The family spokesman says she plans to get in touch with all of her customers.