Runaway dress: Time running out as London, Ont. woman hopes for wedding day miracle

A nightmare has become reality for a London, Ont., bride-to-be after her wedding dress fell out of a van and is now missing just days before her international wedding.

Lorena Pereira and Norman Louis have been together for 6.5 years and began travelling to Toronto Pearson Airport from London early Thursday morning in preparation for their weekend wedding in Lago Di Garda, Italy.

But as the couple arrived at the airport, the pair noticed that some of their luggage was missing, including a black carry-on bag that contained Pereira’s wedding dress.

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Simas told Global News that the dress was sent to Robert Q London – a company that provides transportation services to and from Pearson Airport and Detroit Metro Airport to various locations in Southern Ontario – and was to be delivered to Pereira and Louis when they arrived in Toronto.

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However, Simas said the dress was “misplaced in a sequence of events.”

“The van was not properly locked,” she said. “We guess that it’s more likely to be in London, but we are not sure.”

In a statement to Global News, Helen Wieler, operations manager with Robert Q Airbus confirmed that they “were immediately made aware of this situation.”

“There was a door malfunction on the vehicle,” the statement continued. “This incident has taken top priority for our team since the initial report. We are continuing to actively search for the missing luggage.”

Simas said that she, along with some members of the groom’s family, were searching the streets of London all Thursday afternoon.

“We just need the dress,” Simas added.

She said the dress is custom-made by VIVAZ, a company based in Brazil where Pereia is also from.

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“It took months to make the dress,” Simas told Global News. “She’s very upset, it’s been one heck of a day.”

The carry-on that contains Pereira’s wedding dress is described as black with New York City stickers and a Canadian flag luggage tag.

It’s believed to have first travelled along Wharncliffe Road South before continuing onto Commissioners Road East, turning right onto Wellington Road and heading towards Highway 401 EB towards Toronto, according to Simas.

“The dress is the only thing that we care about right now,” Simas added. “We’re trying as hard as we can to find it and get it to her so she can have her moment.

“I don’t want to point fingers at anything, we just want to find the dress.”

Anyone with information on the potential whereabouts of the dress is asked to contact Barbara Simas at 226-700-5748.