LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A bride-to-be whose mother’s wedding dress was stolen from her apartment mailroom has received a new gown, a cash gift, and offers from businesses to recreate the original items, following an outpouring of support after her story went viral.
Crista Dettelis had planned to wear the dress her mother wore 40 years ago and a headpiece her grandmother wore 75 years ago. Her mother shipped the dress to her apartment, but someone with key fob access to the building stole it from the mailroom.
Story draws millions of views
Dettelis shared her story publicly, and it was viewed millions of times online.
“Everybody that came together online, it was just so overwhelming in the best way,” Dettelis said. “It turned something that was such a horrible situation into something so amazing.”
She said her initial motivation for speaking out was personal.
“There’s nothing that makes me more emotional than my mom being upset,” Dettelis said. “When I called her and she was so upset that the dress was gone, I was like, I’m going to do whatever I can to find it. And I was not going to give up.”
David’s Bridal steps in
David’s Bridal, which has locations across the country including in the Las Vegas Valley, reached out to help. At their location near Palace Station, Dettelis was gifted a gown of her choice valued up to $3,500, along with accessories.
“There are good people in this world. There are bad people. Somebody stole the dress, yes, but because of people like David’s Bridal and all the community online, there’s a silver lining,” Dettelis said. “It turned the worst thing into the best. I mean, I feel like Cinderella, so I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Additional support from businesses, designer
Beyond the new gown, a magazine reached out and offered $1,000 as a wedding gift. Small businesses contacted Dettelis about recreating her grandmother’s veil, and a designer in France reached out about recreating her mother’s dress.
Investigation ongoing
The original dress has not been recovered. When asked about the case, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said: “This grand larceny is currently being investigated by Summerlin Area Command. This is an open and active case.”
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