A private company based in Delray Beach, Fla., Alfred Angelo sold its dresses at 1,400 other retailers, in addition to operating its own stores, according to its website. Like other bridal companies, it has faced pressure from bridal fashion start-ups and traditional retailers pushing low prices. In its bankruptcy filing, the company said it had no more than $50,000 in assets, but more than $50 million in liabilities.

Competitors were rushing to capitalize on the company’s demise. David’s Bridal offered discounts to Alfred Angelo customers if they can show a receipt from the store, as well as free rushed alterations.

Alfred Angelo’s failure led Alex Pacifico and her co-workers at the company’s bridal store near Dayton, Ohio, to spend Thursday essentially running a guerrilla retail operation. They scrambled to get customers gowns they had ordered and told customers to take sample items they had on hand.

“If we had what customers needed in the store, they were more than welcome to take it with them,” she said.

But other brides-to-be and members of their wedding parties were not so lucky.

Christine Danielle, who also lives in Houston, ordered a dress from the bridal retailer in May to wear to a wedding. As of Friday afternoon, she had been unable to figure out where the $195 dress was.

“There’s no dress in sight, no refund in sight,” Ms. Danielle said.

Along with the brides, employees at Alfred Angelo were also left in the lurch. Pacifico worried that she would not get paid for hours worked this week and will lose out on sales commissions.

She said the closing left some customers angry, blaming the workers for the situation. The employees at the Dayton store worked for about 12 hours that day — for no pay — trying to help customers, Ms. Pacifico said.