A bride-to-be was left out in the cold after the store where she bought her wedding dress suddenly closed just two weeks before the big day.

Akila Yejide Mwongozi of Pittsburgh, California, worked three jobs to save enough money for her wedding.

She chose a dress last fall at Bellisima Couture in the city centre and her last fitting took place in July.

But when she went to pick up the dress earlier this month, she was horrified to find the store was completely empty and closed. She lost $1,000 and was left dressless.

The owner had instructed Akila to meet at her home on August 20 to pick up the dress, but when she arrived, no one was home.

Akila Yejide Mwongozi chose a dress for her wedding last fall at Bellisima Couture in Pittsburg, California, and paid for it in full.

Akila then drove to the store, but was astonished to find that it was apparently closed and the store was empty.

A resident of the neighborhood told local station KTVU that she had seen the owner clear everything out of the store two weeks earlier.

The last time she was in the store, it was full of clothes and jewelry, she added.

“And (now) there’s nothing,” Akila exclaimed. “I kind of felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. It’s just weird.”

A Google Maps Street View image of the storefront in October 2022 shows artistic clothing displays through the windows.

In addition to her dress, the store also kept her veil and a flower girl outfit.

She had already paid a deposit of $1,000 for the items.

When Akila was unable to locate the shop owner, one of her bridesmaids, Carlina Williams, asked for help on social media – and strangers immediately started contacting her.

But when she went to pick up the dress earlier this month, she told local station KTVU that she was horrified to find the store completely empty and closed.

A Google Maps Street View from October 2022 shows a store that is fully operational

In addition to her dress, the store also had her veil and a flower girl outfit.

The last time she was in the store, it was full of clothes and jewelry, she added. “And (now) there’s nothing left,” Akila exclaimed. The empty store is seen

“Who does something like that to someone?” Carlina told ABC7. “I find it disgusting.”

Akila and her bridal party were pleasantly surprised when people responded to Carlina’s social media posts and offered her other dresses ahead of the wedding, which will take place on September 1 in San Diego.

“A person who didn’t even know me saw a post on Facebook and sent a dress to UPS in San Diego, so if I fit in it, that could be the dress,” Akila told ABC7.

“And then I have a friend who has two dresses. So we work with these three dresses.

“I don’t know if I can accommodate them. Once I get to San Diego, I’ll have about three days to figure that out.”

Akila also expressed relief that she did not also take her groom’s tuxedo and her goddaughter’s dress to the same shop to have them altered, as the owner of Bellisima Couture was “already taking a while” with Akila’s dress.

Finally, Akila added that details like her dress at her wedding would not matter in the long run.

“I’m getting married. In two or three years, clothes won’t be important anymore. What will be important is the wedding and how I start a family,” she told KTVU.

DailyMail.com has contacted Bellisima Couture for comment.