Fort McMurray bride who lost wedding dress in wildfire helped by Torontonians

A bride-to-be from FortMcMurraysays she's overwhelmed by the supportfrom Torontonianswho helped her get awedding dress to replace the onedestroyed in the wildfire that isconsuming much of the Alberta community.

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"You don't expect this to happen and then for people to put out this much love and support ... it's crazy," liseBoissonneaulttold CBC.

"As far as what's going on in Fort McMurray, that's very overwhelming, as well. You know,not knowing if we're going to have a home to go back to,if our friends are going to have a home to go back to. It's hard right now."

Despitethe devastation back home, including mass evacuations,Boissonneault and her future groom decided to go through with their wedding plans, flying into Toronto on Thursday ahead of this coming weekend's nuptials on Toronto Island.

The only problem: The bride still needed a dress because the one she hadwas destroyed along with the bridal shop holding it.

Boissonneault's friend and her photographertook toFacebook, hoping to trackdown an identical gownandTorontonianscame through.

More than 100 dresses were offered by peopleacross the city, as well asother free services, from hairstyling to jewelry,to make her wedding day extra special.

Boissonneaulthassince heard that her home in FortMcMurrayis OK.

ShaminiSelvaratnam, for one,wasquick to offerher new dress to Boissonneault.

"I put myself in that girl's position and I thought,'What would I do,'"Selvaratnamsaid.

"I could not imaginewhat this person must be going through not havinga wedding dress or anything for that matter, and so I thought, it's going to bring her more joy than me."

Selvaratnamwas going to get the dress tailored, since it wasn't quite the right fit, but decided it could be put to better use making someone else's dream wedding come true.

ZairaGaudio Fry said she heard about Boissonneault's story on Facebook and decided to put out her own call for wedding dress donations.

"Planning a wedding, it's brutal," Fry said. "It's the worst nightmare of any bride-to-be. Like, it's the week of my wedding and my wedding dress went up in flames."

Frywas surprised to see her request shared more than 750times, with dozens of offers from people across the city.

"Everybody justwanted to help out and do what they could," Fry said.

Ultimately, the posts led to offers from two bridal shops in Toronto to lend Boissonneault a dress for her big day.

Shepicked out a dress fromLee-Ann BelterBridal onThursday night,shortly after arriving in the city.

"If I had to getmarried in jeans and a T-shirt, that would have been fine, too,"Boissonneaultsaid.

"There's lots of dresses to choose from so it's going to be hard, but at least I have a dress to choose."

She says she plans to returnto Fort McMurray as soon as she can to help out those in need.

In the meantime, she's grateful for the help offered by strangers.

"I didn't think there was that kind of kindness in the world," she said. "It's just awesome."