David’s Bridal Emerges From Bankruptcy in Under Two Months

America’s largest wedding gown retailer emerged from bankruptcy on Jan. 18, just weeks after it first sought protection from creditors.

David’s Bridal Inc. shrunk its debt load by about $450 million and is now owned by lenders including Oaktree Capital Group. The company, which filed for bankruptcy in November, was looking to exit bankruptcy quickly to avoid scaring off brides that might fear a store under court protection from creditors was at risk of collapsing, destroying wedding plans in the process.

Customers tend to associate the word “bankruptcy” with a company’s liquidating and going away, not with its reducing debt ...