Bridal shop community rallies around Elmhurst store destroyed by fire
The image of another bridal store in ruins reopened old wounds for Ronia Ghusein.
A devastating fire destroyed her own shop and more than 6,000 dresses six years ago. Ghusein managed to bring back the business her grandmother started in 1964 and move Eva's Bridal of Oak Lawn to another storefront.
So Ghusein expressed more than sympathy for the sisters who own and run VIP Occasions, a well-respected Elmhurst bridal shop gutted by a persistent fire Thursday.
"It touches every bone in your body," she said.
Ghusein is among several suburban bridal salon owners scrambling to help brides-to-be find new dresses. She has already made several appointments with the brides who shopped at the Elmhurst store and even received word from women who have offered to donate the dresses they wore on their wedding day. Eva's Bridal also plans to give in-stock dresses to women left in limbo by the fire.
"The outpouring of support is very heartwarming," Ghusein said Friday.
The VIP owners said in a Facebook post that they are "literally sifting through hundreds of offers, from NY to LA, from the most caring women willing to give their most prized gown to a VIP."
Elmhurst firefighters have not yet determined what caused the fire in the historic building at 351 N. York Road. They also could not provide an estimate of the cost of the damage. There were no reports of injuries.
The owners, Nicole Samardzija and Natalie Krstev, announced Friday they will open a temporary store just two doors down from VIP Occasions at their late father's building, York Medical Center, 363 N. York Road. They also were working to alert designers to the temporary address "to ensure no special orders will be missed," a statement on Facebook read.
"Despite the devastating loss of our 'baby,' my sister and I are working tirelessly on behalf of our loyal customers," they wrote. "We are overwhelmed by the charred ruins of countless memories, despite the relentless & heroic efforts by teams of local firefighters."
The sisters could not be reached for further comment Friday.
Ghusein remembers firefighters telling her they were sorry they were unable to save her store on Nov. 17, 2010. That fire was just too hot and burned too fast, they told her.
"The gowns are so flammable," said Ghusein, who warns brides to stay clear of candles during their weddings.
Complete Bridal in East Dundee plans to open two hours earlier and close its doors two hours later than usual this weekend to help VIP Occasions customers search for new dresses, said owner David Gaffke, who stopped by the fire site Friday to see if he could help.
Six years ago, he established a relief fund to assist women who lost dresses in the Eva's Bridal fire. The fund also has supported brides-to-be after tornadoes in Missouri and fires in Arizona.
The loss from the Elmhurst fire could be felt for as long as weddings scheduled for April, May and June, Gaffke said.
"All those gowns would have been in the store by now," sitting in alterations, he said.
Complete Bridal will provide those who lost a dress in the Elmhurst fire with a replacement at no cost except for alterations if they provide a receipt from VIP Occasions, Gaffke said. The salon charges $22 per half-hour for a fitting, he added, the "same amount as a good dry cleaner."