Bride's worst nightmare as she loses wedding dress weeks before big day

From finalising the seating plan and flowers to ensuring you dress is just what you dreamed of, there’s no doubt the weeks leading up to a wedding can be very stressful.

For NSW resident Elizabeth South, this has become the ultimate period of hell as her worst nightmare has come true – she’s lost her wedding dress.

Taking to Facebook on Friday in what she called a “desperate” move, she revealed the devastating mistake she made in her “mum brain state” when she left her gown in a suitcase by the side of the road, just weeks before nuptials in Fiji in February 2019.

“This morning I was at my sister’s in Matraville, I was packing my screaming son and our luggage in the car in a mad rush,” she wrote.

“In my mum brain state, I have left my brand new wedding dress, that I collected yesterday, in a suitcase on the side of a main road. By the time I realised an hour later and my sister ran out, it was gone.”

Elizabeth – who has a 19-month-old son, explained she’s gone to great lengths to trace the dress, including neighbourhood door knocks, contacting the police and visiting the local retail marketplace.

Her sister has even kindly posted reward signs in the street for anyone who locates the gown and returns it.

“My wedding is in 7 weeks and besides the fact I cannot afford to replace it, it’s too late to get the same one made,” she wrote.

Asking for any advice from fellow Facebook users, she signed off her post as “one devastated bride to be”.

Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle, Elizabeth explained how she is still hoping her story will conclude with a happy ending.

“I don’t have any option for a back-up dress so I’m really hoping it will turn up. Our budget is very tight so I won’t be able to get anything to replace it in terms of quality,” she said.

She explained how she felt when she realised her unfortunate mistake, adding: “My mind was racing and I was driving the moment I realised. I pulled over in the break down lane on Eastern Distributor and called my sister Caroline.

“She raced outside and looked but it was gone. She lives in a large unit complex and quickly started door knocking.”

Elizabeth continued: “I then reported it to police assistance line and my sister called the location stations. I called the dress maker who didn’t think there was time to remake the dress.”

She then admitted: “My fiance hasn’t seen any pictures of it yet as I haven’t shared it on my personal Facebook page as I don’t want family to know how silly I was.”

Got a story tip? Send it to tips@oath.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.