Bridal Reflections in Massapequa: 500 customer dresses spared, up to 300 samples being assessed, after weekend fire

The owners of a Massapequa bridal shop that was the site of a weekend fire said about 500 customers' dresses stored in the basement were undamaged, and up to 300 samples were being assessed.

Anthony Micari, co-owner of Bridal Reflections, said all the customers' dresses had been inspected, including testing for traces of smoke odors, and determined not to be damaged. They have been relocated from the basement to a separate building across the street.

"The fact that the customers' dresses are fine, it was a godsend," Micari said. "That's really the important thing. Everything else can be replaced."

The owners will meet with an adjuster on Monday to see how many of the sample dresses can be salvaged. Micari estimated that there were between 200 to 300 sample dresses in the building, many of them in the upstairs showroom.

Investigators reported that the fire began in a basement storage room in the basement. Micari said the customer dresses had been stored in a separate part of the basement.

The news that their dresses were spared was welcomed by the brides-to-be.

When Rebecca Trentini awoke to a text from a friend about the fire Monday morning, she said “there were a lot of freak outs.”

Trentini said she is due to marry Steven Hromia, her boyfriend of more than 6 years, on June 7, and her “very intricate” Eve Of Milady ball gown-style wedding dress was in the bridal shop.

While Trentini said she “wanted to trust” the store’s social media post that assured customer dresses were safe, she still had to see her dress “with my own eyes.” She worried the smoke could permeate her gown’s many layers.

After she arrived at Bridal Reflections Monday afternoon, employees opened up the garment bag to let her see and smell her dress, which she said showed no signs of damage. Still, she was told the store has insurance and is sending all the bridal dresses, including hers, to “a special cleaning service.”

“Everything is fine,” Trentini, 27, of Huntington, added. “They were lovely, they were more than welcoming to have me come in … As a June bride, I felt really good that they’re doing the right thing.”

Heather Cunningham, the owner and founder of Brides of Long Island, an organization of more than 24,000 brides that endorses local vendors, said she and her network were "incredibly devastated to hear news of this fire."

In a statement texted to Newsday, she added that "we are beyond grateful that no staff, customers, or first responders were injured as a result.. We know that they will recover from this setback quickly, and continue to bring our brides' wedding day visions to life." 

The cause of the fire is undetermined but is not considered to be suspicious, he said.