The collapse of wedding dress supplier Berketex proves another prime example of how plans for the best day in many people’s lives can be shattered or thrown into question.
Berketex wedding dress customer Danielle told the BBC she was desperately searching for new dress as a result of the firm going into insolvency with her Newcastle branch closing and her wedding dress redirected.
‘It’s all been totally stressful – it’s meant to be the best day of your life,’ she said. ‘With less than six months until my wedding I now need to find an off-the-peg dress.’
Insurance Could Fund New Wedding Dress
Emerald Life’s wedding insurance policy includes cover for just such situations of suppliers going to administration. Our lowest premium of just £49 includes up to £7000 cover for financial failure of service suppliers. In the event of another Berketex-style shutdown, an Emerald wedding insurance policy holder could make a claim and get back any money already paid to find another wedding dress. And you can take out a policy up to two years before the big day, to make sure that all your wedding deposits are covered.
Another customer posted in Berketex’s Facebook group ‘I get married in 16 days and my dress was called the Sonia. I’ve not had a phone call or email. I was due to collect my dress next Wednesday from Manchester!’
Distressed Customers Have to Wait
In a statement Berketex said the only hope for customers was to contact their administrators responsible for settling the firm’s crippled finances. ‘If you have purchased items that you have not yet received from the company, please telephone 0114 3491388 or email berketex@wilsonfield.co.uk for a full update,’ it said.
‘The director of the company wishes to express his sincere apologies for the abrupt closure of the store and any subsequent inconvenience this may cause to customers of the company.’
Wilson Field Limited, the insolvency practitioners handling the administration, said they appreciate that this will be distressing for the customers of the company and will deal with individual queries as quickly as possible ‘however we anticipate a high volume of calls and therefore ask for your patience in advance.’
Among the comments were many bridal boutiques and independent wedding dress makers, rushing to fill the gap left by the huge chain. Meanwhile brides who said a teary-eyed yes to the dress now face an even more emotional and uncertain wait for news.