She had bought the dress, booked the flowers and was just a few weeks away from the biggest day of her life.

But Lynne Cousins, who is getting married at St Mark's Church in Lowestoft on April 2, was crushingly disappointed this week when she found out her wedding might have to go ahead without a church organ.

The 47-year-old, who works for the church in Oulton Broad as parish administrator, had spent months, along with the rest of the community, raising the �38,000 needed to restore St Mark's historic organ.

The instrument was sent away in May last year to undergo major restoration.

On Tuesday , the organ restorers based in Fakenham broke the bad news that they had encountered problems installing the new pipework and the organ would not be ready for another three/four months - and will be noteably absent on April 2.

Thankfully, the firm has now promised to supply St Mark's with a temporary replacement ensuring that Miss Cousins' wedding to John Scofield, 62, can go ahead without a hitch.

'We knew that the organ was going away to be refurbished,' said Miss Cousins, who moved to Lowestoft in 2007.

'John and I had been involved in the fundraising committee and we'd said, 'that organ has got to be back for the wedding'. But when the date was pushed back until after Christmas, then to the end of February, I think I knew. I knew deep down that it wouldn't be here in time and I was devestated.'

While it fell to St Mark's director of music Alan Zipfel to break the bad news to the couple, he was happy to reveal that the replacement instrument is likely be a top-of-the-range electronic organ worth an estimated �40,000.

'An organ is absolutely vital to a church,' said Mr Zipfel.

'Especially here at St Mark's where music plays such an important part of our services.

'Hopefully when our organ comes back to where it belongs it will last for another 100 years.'

On April 2, the bride will walk down the aisle to John Stanley's Trumpet Voluntary (for trumpet and organ) and the service will end with the Marche triomphale (Nun danket alle Gott) by Sigfrid Karg-Elert.