Over a week since it was shut, it is still unclear whether the store will re-open and when brides – like Caitlin Hanley from Batemans Bay –will either get refunds or receive their dresses.

Ms Hanley peered through the store windows on Friday with her maid of honour Belinda Sheedy in tow, and described how she had spent sleepless nights worrying whether she will get her $2200 dress that she paid for in full in July – or at least get a refund.

"We have just driven up from Batemans Bay for the second time, she has almost been sick thinking about it," Ms Sheedy said.

Another young bride, 20-year-old Amy Guy, found out about the store closing via The Canberra Times.

"I did speak to [the franchise owner] and she said she could confirm I could still get my gown, but since then I have not heard from her," Ms Guy said.

"Since then everyone keeps saying they could not get in contact with her, but I got in contact with the supplier to check they got my deposit and they said that they had, but said they can't do anything until she declares bankruptcy."

Her wedding is in April next year and Ms Guy is thinking she may have to look for extra work to cover the cost of losing her $1225 deposit.

"We don't exactly have a whole lot of income coming in and without that deposit or the dress it makes it difficult to know what to do from here," Ms Guy said.

"Even if they can open the doors, just so every lady out there who is missing their dress can find out some answers or get their money back and go somewhere else."

Canberra's Hills in Hollywood was believed to have gone into liquidation, before the store announced it had only closed temporarily and would initially re-open on an appointment-only basis.

CEO Chris Freeburn said the independently-operated store would now join the Hills in Hollywood buying group rather than continue as part of a franchise, alongside eight other stores across the country.

He said the Fyshwick boutique would re-open in the next few days.

"Hills in Hollywood will become a company-owned store," he said.

"In Canberra it will be in the next few days. It will be business as usual.

"It allows the store owners to be a little more flexible in what they can do."

Mr Freeburn said his legal team was currently assessing problems with one of the brand's major dress suppliers.

"The distributor of this particular label also happens to own retail stores around the country and has a retail store in Canberra," he said.

"They have said they're not going to provide the label to the store in the future on the basis that when Hills in Hollywood established itself in Canberra, it took a lot of business off this store."

He would not comment on the likelihood of fully or partially-paid dresses ordered through this particular distributor being retrieved but said Hills in Hollywood was working hard to assist all brides to get their wedding gowns.

With Emma Kelly