Missing wedding dress drama: Owner pleads for return after friend gave gown away to Wellington charity store

Donna McQuaid in her wedding dress. Photo / Supplied

A woman whose wedding dress was accidentally donated to a charity shop says she wants whoever bought it to wear it and love it - she just wants it back afterwards.

Donna McQuaid lent her wedding dress to a friend who was recently engaged, as she felt it deserved to be worn and loved - but when the friend’s relationship broke down the dress was accidentally donated to an op shop in Lower Hutt.

McQuaid told the Herald her dress was one of multiple the friend had in storage - two boxes of dresses were given to a third party who thought they all came from the same person and donated them all en masse.

She has called every single charity shop in the Wellington region desperate to get her designer dress back but to no avail.

McQuaid is desperate to get her dress back after the buyer has their own dream wedding in it.

Donna McQuaid's dress.

“It’s someone else’s dress - it’s their story, I want them to get married in it.

“People should enjoy things, not have them locked away in dusty dingy cupboards. Wear it, enjoy it but please give it back.”

The dress has immense sentimental value to her, as it represents the last few months she had with her mother before she died.

Donna's late mother at her own wedding. Photo / Supplied

“I tried to sell the dress myself in 2017, I was pregnant and we were living in this tiny house so stuff needed to go but it wouldn’t sell. I put it back in storage and then after my parents had died and I was depressed I went back and found it.”

She said bringing the dress out of storage brought back a wash of memories.

”All these emotions surfaced that I didn’t expect. The last good memories I have of my Mum are in the lead-up to my wedding, and the wedding itself. She had a stroke after that and she just wasn’t the same woman.”

She said the dress was a “real tangible, physical bit of history”.

“There’s a connection and a memory with my Mum there.”

When she first posted on social media about her missing dress she didn’t have much hope it would come back to her - but the response has surprised her.

“It’s gone so viral I’ve had so many people looking - I think the timing of it just works, after the election and all the politics, people want a nice story.

“I’m really hoping whoever has it can still have their dream wedding - I just want it back

“It’s their day they’ve bought and paid for it - just give it back afterwards.”

If anyone thinks they may have the dress McQuaid asks they email her at donna.mcquaid2@gmail.com.

“If someone wants to get in touch privately, I’ll tell everyone it’s resolved and I’ll keep you completely private.”

Vita Molyneux is a Wellington-based journalist who covers breaking news and stories from the capital. She has been a journalist since 2018 and joined the Herald in 2021.