I hightly recomend picking up Bridal Bargins - The secrets to throwing a fantastic wedding on a realistic budget by Denise and Alan Fields. This is a book Oprah has promoted and is written by husband and wife team that felt that after planning their wedding they could help brides get the most out of everything they pay for. They are on their 9th edition of the book now.
One the things they really focus on is getting the best deal for your wedding dress. They talk a lot about companies going out of business as well and how to handle this.
Aparently there is a "law called Federal Regulation C. This entitles all consumers who pay with a credit card to recieve refunds if the merchandise doesn't live up to what's promised. According to several credit card companies...deposits paid with credit cards for bridal apparel (or any wedding-related purchases) are protected by Federal Regulation C. Be aware that rules vary slightly eith each issuing bank. Some require complaints to be filed within 60 days of purchase while others will refund money if even more than 60 days have elapsed. In clear cases of fraud there is no time limit for you to dispute a charge."
I hope this helps some of you brides who are dealing with this, otherwise I hightly recomend this book to ladies who want to plan and shop for their wedding smart and avoid possible pitfalls best we are able to.