A TREASURED wedding dress put away for two decades by a broken-hearted bride when her groom died before their marriage was one of the most poignant donations when Marie Curie staged a pop up wedding boutique in Swindon.

Staff were overwhelmed when the vintage dress was handed over at the shop in the Brunel Centre on Saturday.

“She actually saw us when we were setting up and asked if she could donate her dress. It is an amazing gesture,” said Marie Curie’s eBay manager Daryl Bigwood.

Another woman came in and donated her £3,000 gown.

Business was brisk throughout the day and some prospective brides were so keen they were waiting for the fundraising shop to open.

“There was someone there outside the shop at 7.30am waiting to get in. She was here before we were,“ he said. “It has been crazy. We took £700 in the first hour.”

“We’ve had first time brides, we’ve had people on a budget and people who have been married before and done the big white wedding.”

One organised bride-to-be told them she was preparing for her wedding in 2019.

Gowns by top wedding dress designers Alfred Angelo, Maggie Sottero and Mori Lee were all on the racks along with a Vera Wang and several vintage dresses.

Some of them were ex-demonstrators from bridal shops being sold at a fraction of the normal price for new wedding dresses, along with bridesmaid and prom dresses, mother of the bride outfits and even men’s formal clothes and stunning Indian coats.

Veils and petticoats proved particularly popular, but there were also hats and shoes on display.

The shop, which is due to stay open until 2pm today or until all the stock is gone, is the first of its kind organised by the charity and has had lots of support from surrounding stores, said Daryl.

Some donated stock while Marks and Spencer decorated it. Money raised by the shop will be used to help pay for the charity’s nurses.

Marie Curie provides care and support for people living with terminal illness and last year helped 40,000 in the UK.

Its nurses look after people in their own homes and in hospices. It also supports families with information, counselling and practical advice on things like money, legal matters and organising funerals.

For more information visit www.mariecurie.org.uk