WHEN Debbie Hobbs realised she could not lose enough weight to fit into her dream wedding dress, she did not know where to turn.

But a bridal shop that specialises in larger sizes came to her rescue.

Amelia Classics, in Chippenham, has vowed to re-build the size 12 outfit she bought, despite being size 18.

Debbie, 32, from West Swindon, said: "I am absolutely ecstatic. They have saved my life and my marriage."

For months she has been desperately trying to slim down and squeeze into her hasty £700 purchase. But her strict diet and strenuous exercise regime have failed to shift the pounds, driving Debbie to despair.

So she was thrilled when the shop offered to alter her dress free of charge.

"They invited me round and said not to worry, anything is possible," she said.

Debbie will wed Paul Harper, 36, under the sun on the Greek island Rhodes in September.

The tailoring magic involves chopping the dress in half so it can be fitted with a new A-line skirt and an enlarged bodice.

Amelia Hanratty, owner of Amelia Classics, said: "The dress is so small, it was a tall order.

"But our hearts went out to Debbie. We will rise to the challenge"

Debbie looked aghast, when she saw her dress being snipped into two pieces. But Amelia, who has a degree and masters in textiles, assured her she has yet to receive a single complaint.

Amelia said: "No job is too large the average dress size we sell is size 20 and we go up to 36. Debbie is certainly not alone in having bought a size slightly on the optimistic side. Our aim is to make sure wedding preparations do not end in tears because the weight loss plan has completely flopped."

So impressed with the service, Debbie has invited staff to her reception to be held in the Super Marine Club in September 21.

She said: "Unfortunately we cannot afford to hire a plane to fly family and friends to see the ceremony. So we are throwing a big party back at home and I hope Amelia, my little miracle worker, will come."

Paul was equally thrilled with the dress fitting session.

He said: "They have restored her confidence and given me some brilliant ideas for sexy lingerie. At last we can lie back and relax, confident that everything from her dress to corsetry is under control."

Debbie will return to try on the transformed outfit in a fortnight, when the extra panels and expert stitching is complete.

Had Amelia not come to Debbie's rescue, she may have been forced to accept other offers responding to her plight, like free gym membership or, worse still, the dreaded cabbage soup diet.

Debbie said: "I have received all sorts of calls from people who want to help and am extremely grateful. But I do not want to lose weight if it means chaining myself to a treadmill or surviving solely on vegetables. Marriage is supposed to be an enjoyable experience and I truly am blissfully happy."

Supporting Debbie's decision to ditch the diet and be joyful, Amelia told her to celebrate with a large cream cake.

www.ameliaclassics.co.uk