Bride found her 'perfect Grace Kelly' wedding dress in Rotherham's Bluebell Wood’s charity shop

It came after a tough few months where Ruth Lockwood-Sorsby, aged 26, and her husband-to-be Mark brought their wedding day forward so her seriously ill dad could be by their side.

The pair married at his Rotherham Hospice bedside last summer, a week before he passed away of stomach cancer.

In his final days, Geoff Lockwood, Ruth’s dad, made her promise that their fairytale wedding planned for the following January would go ahead regardless.

It was during preparations for her ‘second wedding’ that Ruth chanced upon her dream wedding dress on one of her regular trips to browse the bridal, evening and prom wear at the Rotherham charity shop of Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, North Anston.

Ruth, of Kiveton Park, said: “My mum and I often pop in to the Bluebell Wood shop in Rotherham as they always have such lovely dresses.

“We went upstairs to browse and I saw the most beautiful lace popping out from the rack, so I took a closer look and there was my dress, in my size.

“Straight away I knew it was the dress I always wanted, a Grace Kelly dress. It was perfect. My mum didn't cry when she saw me in the dress for the first wedding, but she cried when she saw me in this.

“She was convinced my dad would have loved it.

“I had the moment all over again and I could feel my dad there.

“I'm so glad I found my dream dress and that it went to such a wonderful cause that’s close to our hearts.”

June Salthouse, manager of Bluebell Wood’s Rotherham shop, on Wellgate, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that Ruth found her dream dress and it helped bring her family a little bit of happiness after all they’d been though. Every item of clothing we sell helps us support local children and families when they need it the most, so shopping here really does make a huge difference.”

Ruth’s second big day, consisting of a wedding blessing and celebration, took place in January.