Bride-to-be Laura Ridings was left without a wedding dress three weeks before her wedding after the supplier in China told her it would not be ready in time.

Laura, 24, will marry fiancé of five years Christopher Keys, 37, tomorrow at Barnsley Register Office in a dress from Olivia's on Shambles Street after staff there came to her rescue.

Laura, of The Gate, Dodworth, said: "I could have cried, it was an awful feeling and I was upset with it being so close and thought it might be left without a dress.

"But Olivia's have been brilliant. I've seen the dress and I really like it."

The couple have been planning their special day for about a year, and had a budget of £2,000.

Laura had seen advice on a moneysaving website to search for dresses on eBay to help cut costs.

She ordered two bridesmaids dresses from Hong Kong for Christopher's daughters Becky, 14, and Bethany, 12, which arrived without problem.

But her made-to-measure, white, strapless wedding dress which cost £100 was ordered from China in February.

However, three weeks ago she received an e-mail saying the dress would not be ready until August.

She said: "I was mad - we'd sent the wedding date. That's the last thing you want to be worrying about. I'll never order anything so important off eBay again."

Warehouse operative Laura was offered a designer dress by her boss but said she could not wear it on her wedding day because 'it wasn't her dress'.

After receiving the e-mail, she went to Olivia's not expecting to be able to afford a dress.

But they found her an ivory discontinued dress which has been customised with sequins, chiffon and diamante.

"I feel better now. I'm really looking forward to getting married and wearing my dress.

"I just don't want anyone else to go through what I've been through," she said.

Laura has not received her money back for the eBay dress and has opened a case with the auction website.

Laura and Christopher's son Lewis, three, will be a pageboy and the reception will be held at Dodworth WMC.