A local woman who lost $1,200 and her wedding dress when a bridal store went bankrupt has managed a happily-ever-after ending with a little help from daytime talk-show host Rachael Ray.
LeAnna Poe of Chattanooga purchased her wedding dress from Alfred Angelo Bridal in April, about a year before her wedding date. She found the gown at an Alfred Angelo store in Altamonte Springs, Fla., the bridal shop closest to her hometown of Eustis, where her mother still lives.
The 84-year-old business was one of the world's largest manufacturers and retailers of bridal fashions with more than 2,500 stores in 34 countries. But just a couple of months after Poe purchased the dress, the store abruptly went bankrupt.
Poe couldn't get her money back, nor could she get the dress.
Online
› To view a clip of LeAnna Poe on “The Rachael Ray Show”: http://tinyurl.com/y8blrtye› For more about the show: www.rachaelrayshow.com.
From left are talk-show host Rachael Ray, bride-to-be LeAnna Poe, her mother Rhonda Poe and fashion stylist Gretta Monahan.
Matt Scott proposed to LeAnna Poe on April 8, 2017, at the Edwards Point overlook on Signal Mountain with their dog Roper and a couple of family members in attendance.Even more disappointing, she said, was that her family also had invested in helping her get the dress because it was over her budget. And their money also was lost.
A friend set up a GoFundMe account that had raised $200 toward a new dress.
But the best part about the page was that it drew the attention of producers of "The Rachael Ray Show" looking for people caught in a bind after the chain went bankrupt.
"Imagine finding the wedding dress of your dreams and then losing it," Ray explained during the show. "That's exactly what happened to bride-to-be LeAnna. So when we heard her story, we had to help."
In addition to flying Poe to New York City, Ray recruited lifestyle expert Gretta Monahan to help her find the perfect dress. She even surprised the bride-to-be with a special guest to help her decide between three choices from Manhattan bridal boutique Bridal Reflections. The special guest was Poe's mom, Rhonda Poe.
Poe tried on "tons of different styles" in the store, according to a publicist for the show, and producers narrowed the choices down to three for the show.
The first dress closely resembled her original dress with an A-line cut, the most universally flattering, according to Monahan. It had an open back and cap sleeves.
The second dress was arguably the sexiest of the three, featuring a deep plunge.
And the third was a strapless, which Poe originally wanted no part of, according to an email from the producer.
Ray, Monahan and Poe's mom all favored different dresses, which didn't make selecting any easier for Poe.
Eventually, she chose the dress with the deep plunge.
"It had a New York elegance with a little more glam," said Poe.
Ray purchased the dress for Poe and had it altered for her so she could take it home from the show.
"I can't thank them enough," said Poe. "It took a huge weight off our shoulders and allowed us to look forward to the wedding date again."
In keeping with tradition, her husband-to-be, Matt Scott, won't know what the dress looks like until Poe starts down the aisle on April 21, 2018, at The Barn at High Point Farms in Flintstone, Ga. He wasn't allowed to watch the show.
Contact Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.