Bride-To-Be Anxious About Wedding Dress Smoke Damage After Shop Fire

MASSAPEQUA, NY — An electrical fire at Bridal Reflections in Massapequa destroyed hundreds of sample dresses, but the owner told Patch that the actual wedding gowns sold to clients are fine.

That disclaimer is a sigh of relief for many brides-to-be, but it may not be enough to completely allay fears.

"I picked out the dress in May of last year," said Madison Sanalitro, who is getting married in November. "It just came in last week. That's 10 months it took to come in. God forbid something did happen, it smells like smoke, I'm kind of in a bind."

But owner Roselynn Fiumara assures that dresses awaiting the brides' Big Day "were stored on the complete opposite side of the building from where the fire broke out, she told Patch.

Additionally, the dresses are being "thoroughly inspected," owners wrote on Instagram.

"We don't know if it smells like smoke," Sanalitro said. "That's my serious concern. You can't get that smell out, usually."

So on a day that brides expect everything to be pre-planned and absolutely perfect, the potential for uncertainty creeps into the proceedings, she said.

However, as of Monday afternoon, Sanalitro hadn't tried to reach the shop.

No bride has to worry, Fiumara emphasized — the gowns are safe. "We have the gowns. Everything is sewn and ready to be pressed," she said.

The mother-of-the-bride space, located in another area, was unaffected; that space will now be utilized for fittings while the fire-ravaged showroom is rebuilt, Fiumara said. "We're very lucky — that mother-of-the-bride area is where our offices are, all the files." The mother-of-the-bride samples will be moved — and no weddings will be missed, Fiumara said. No fittings or weddings will be delayed, she said.

The Sunday fire at the shop also damaged other stores on Broadway. Bridal Reflections has two locations— one in Manhattan and one in Carle Place..

"I feel like they should be telling us all, 'If you have concerns you can always come to the store and double-check,'" Sanalitro told Patch.

Fiumara told Patch that they will be reaching out to all brides and that they will do whatever it takes to make each wedding perfect. "We're being very open about this, trying to contact everyone. We haven't missed a wedding in 52 years — and we won't miss any now."

Fiumara added : "We have an amazing team and an amazing community and whatever we need to do to make everything right, that's what we'll do. We'e in the business of making people happy on their special day.".