Mary McLaughlin, from Claudy, picked out the dress for her big day at Portrush shop, Boudicca Bridal, in February and paid a 50% deposit.
However, last week her pre-nuptial nerves were really put to the test when she learned that Boudicca had shut its doors without any explanation.

Other brides-to-be queued outside Boudicca, many in tears, from early morning to demand an explanation; however, the store remained shut and its answering service was too full to receive any more messages.

"It was terrible," Mary told the 'Journal.' "I just felt awful and didn't know what to do. I had my dress picked out and it was awful to think I wouldn't get it."

Thanks to the efforts of her dashing groom, James McDermott, the couple tracked down several of the dresses to the PSNI station in Portrush; however, Mary's dress was not among the stash.

"My dress was a San Patrick dress and I heard that Austin's in the Diamond also sold dresses from that designer," she said. "When I told Veronica Walker, the bridal consultant at Austin's, she was very helpful and reassuring."

She contacted the designer in Barcelona and they informed her that a dress which was ordered in February from Boudicca Bridal was with them but they could not post it out as they had received no money from Boudicca Bridal.

Veronica then contacted me to get full details of my dress, and knew that the dress in Barcelona was definetly mine."
Reunited

Austin's managed to re-order the dress and Mary and her dream dress were reunited yesterday afternoon.

Noreen Meenan, Manageress at Austin's Bridalwear, revealed that a number of local brides have lost their wedding dresses because of the closure of Boudicca.

"We've been able to help another bride get her dress, too," she said. "We've been glad to help because we know how stressful it can be for brides."

Mary will wear her dress when she marries fiancee James in October.