Bridal Shop Owner Clears Air About Closure

Owner says situation is simple misunderstanding

Her days on the runway taught Julie Robenhymer about dress deadline disasters.
 
"I didn't see the final product until about five days before I left for Miss America, so I had nightmares about my gown coming, being the wrong color…wrong size…wrong style!” Robenhymer said recounting her days in the spotlight.
 
Julie was Miss New Jersey in 2005 and a contestant for Miss America in 2006 and she owned the Mullica Hill Bridal Shop for five years.
 
But brides-to-be who paid for gowns went to police when the shop shut down without warning and the store's phone was disconnected.
 
“I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I looked in the window and it was completely vacant!" said one soon-to-be bride. "I've been extremely stressed! I've been crying a lot!"
 
Julie says it is all a simple misunderstanding. She claims she had to jump to get a new location in Maple Shade and tried to contact customers.
 
"We did, because of the situation that we were in, move kind of abruptly only because we wanted to be into our new location for our busy season which is coming up in March," she said.
 
But because she didn't have permits to move into the new space on route 38, Julie claims she's in limbo and admits that was mistake.
 
However, customers like Patty Diventi who had a $300 deposit on a dress had to go to another store.
 
Melissa Markley says she got her money back after NBC10 aired a story last week, but what about everyone else?
 
"Everything carries over! All their deposits carry over.  We have everybody's dresses!" Julie said.
 
Julie Robenhymer says she has to go before Maple Shade officials this week to get permits to move in to the location on Route 38 and she hopes to be in by the end of March.
 
While a lot of her customers are skeptical, NBC10 will be monitoring the situation to see if she makes good on her promise.

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