Future brides in limbo after bridal shop abruptly closes

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A staple business for wedding parties and prom goers in the Rochester area is closing after more than 43 years. Mestad’s Bridal and Formal Wear has filed bankruptcy citing COVID-19 as a main factor for the decision.

Many people still have outstanding orders they’re waiting to receive. There are several dozen folks commenting on the Mestad’s Facebook page asking about their orders.

Some ordered their dresses and aren’t sure if they’ll be able to get them in time for their weddings. Others ordered tuxes for their groomsmen and don’t know when or if they’ll be able to pick them up.

Mestad’s customer Mackenzie Steinfadt is from La Crosse. She’s getting married next June. She bought her wedding dress from Mestad’s two weeks before they announced the store would be closing.

Her maid of honor reached out to her yesterday to tell her about the closing. She was shocked to hear the news after being in the store just a couple weeks ago.

“I was really scared. I wasn’t sure. I thought I just lost my dream dress. I went there, I found my dress. It gave me more than what I could imagine out of my wedding dress, so I was really heartbroken and scared because I didn’t want to lose that opportunity to get the dress that I wanted,” she said.

Mestad’s owner Cathy Mestad said her team is working with a Chapter 7 trustee who is working with the Small Business Administration to get orders taken care of. She posted the trustee’s number on Facebook for customers to call in regard to any outstanding orders or other inquiries.

But many customers, including Steinfadt, say they haven’t been able to get ahold of anyone and no one was responded to their voice mails.

“I just hope that somewhere in their hearts, they can call everybody back and just help everybody as best as they can. I get it’s a tricky situation, but a lot of these brides and bridesmaids don’t need this extra stress on them. I just hope they can figure it out as fast as possible,” she said.

Mestad said in a Facebook post that the legal team is looking for a potential purchaser for the inventory, but if the business is not sold, a benefactor has agreed to pay for the orders and work with the manufacturers. The trustee will be sending out a letter soon to customers with more information.

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