Woman's Lost Wedding Dress Found By Stranger After 'Long Shot' Search

March 27, 2023

After making a long-shot plea on social media this weekend, a southern Ontario woman has been reunited with her lost wedding dress.

Elle Dee / Facebook

Tanya Walsh said she has lost sleep for nights on end and "shed many tears" after finding out that her wedding dress had been accidentally donated by her father.

While Walsh acknowledges all wedding dresses are special, this one has extra significance, she said.

"This was a special dress for obvious reasons, but most importantly a dress my mother bought me right before she passed away," she wrote in a Facebook post.

"I didn't want a wedding dress originally, since we were having a small wedding (she was palliative and we did immediate family - 14 people) and because she never had a dress herself, I decided to get one. She passed away 2 months after I got married and this dress was to act and serve as something to keep forever that would help remind me of her and a special heirloom for my own children. I have 2 girls now and I am devastated that I don’t have this for them one day, marriage or not. I NEED TO FIND THIS DRESS!"

For years, the dress was stored in her late mother's closet at her father’s home.

But in February, she learned her father had accidentally donated the dress to a thrift store. Walsh called all of the local stores but no one had seen the dress.

That's when she decided to try her luck on social media.

Walsh's post was shared more than 1,500 times and just two days later she was notified that someone had found her dress.

"The dress has been found by a lovely volunteer, Sheila at St. Vincent de Paul store where the dress was originally donated," Walsh said in an update. "It was in storage in the basement, tucked away safely. Sheila came into her shift this morning to make it her mission to find it and she came through."

"Thank you to everyone who helped share the story and circulate. I am beyond excited to be reunited with it!" she said.