Marina D'Arcy is getting married in less than six months and fears that despite her generally "chilled out" demeanour, she's turning into "bridezilla".

Key points: More than 760 million workers in China have faced some form of home lockdown, causing many factories to close

More than 760 million workers in China have faced some form of home lockdown, causing many factories to close Australian women are finding it hard to source wedding dresses as many are produced in China

Australian women are finding it hard to source wedding dresses as many are produced in China Some women are putting rush orders on dresses, and small businesses are having to come up with back-up plans

She's set the date for August — the month of her eighth anniversary with partner James, 32 — and says the most stressful part of planning the wedding has been finding a dress that will arrive in time.

"I'm going for a boho [bohemian] relaxed vibe — a dinner with close friends and family where we also sign a document," she says.

"The dress search has definitely been the most stressful component [of planning for the wedding]."

Ms D'Arcy, 28, from Melbourne, had spent weeks searching for her dream dress.

She thought she had found the perfect gown, only to be told by one local business, Made With Love Bridal, via an Instagram post, that it was no longer taking "rush orders" for dresses due to coronavirus impacting factories in China where the dresses get made.

That means, for weddings happening before the year's end, brides may need to look elsewhere.

Made With Love Bridal wrote on Instagram that the coronavirus outbreak meant there would be delays on new wedding dress orders. ( Instagram )

Ms D'Arcy had assumed that local businesses made the dresses onshore.

But many designer dresses in the more affordable price range get made in China and shipped to Australia, which is why they have been so popular with local businesses catering to more price-conscious women.

Ms D'Arcy says with coronavirus now topping 80,000 cases worldwide and a pandemic looming, it is "absolutely wreaking havoc" on small businesses and their customers.

"I really didn't think I'd have this much trouble finding a wedding dress," she says.

'This is unprecedented'

Maria Claydon runs a wedding dress shop in Hawthorn East, Melbourne, called Eternal Weddings.

She says 90 per cent of the more affordable range of designer dresses she sells come from China, which she adds are of a "high quality".

While she also sells some brands made in Europe and the United States, she says they often come with more expensive price tags.

With factories across China still shut due to the coronavirus threat, Ms Claydon fears she won't be able to deliver brides their dream gown.

Maria Claydon, who runs the Eternal Weddings dress and alternations shop in Melbourne, says she is worried dresses from China won't arrive in time for some brides. ( ABC News )

"[I worry] that the dress they've spent a lot of time and money on and a lot of time choosing is just not going to be here," she says.

"It is quite frustrating for them and it's frustrating for us."

"We understand with the designers that have the factories in China, it's out of their control. This is something that's unprecedented."

More than 760 million people in China — or more than half the country's population — have been in some form of home lockdown, meaning thousands of factories across the country have had to close their doors.

While some factories are slowly opening, workers that have now resumed duties will have to deal with a backlog of orders.

"We're hoping that things improve, and that the workers can be given clearance from the Chinese end," Ms Claydon says.

"That would mean that the dresses can be dispatched and arrive in time for these brides who are getting married quite soon."

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 3 minutes 28 seconds 3 m 28 s How weeks of quarantine in China is hitting Australian business. ( Nassim Khadem )

Rush orders and contingency plans in place

But for some brides that have wedding dates locked in, Ms Claydon fears "they might not be able to choose the dress that they want".

"We've got a couple of dresses at the moment that have had a rush order put on them, where the bride pays a little extra to make sure they get here in time," Ms Claydon says.

In the worst-case scenario, if the dresses from China do not arrive on time, she has a back-up plan.

Ms Claydon's mother, who works in the shop doing dress alterations, may be able to sew them a gown instead.

"And just try to ensure that they've got something that they can wear on their wedding day that makes them feel amazing and happy," Ms Claydon says.

For Ms D'Arcy, the dress search is almost over. She just has to cross her fingers that happens in time for her wedding.

Ms D'Arcy has contacted a designer in New Zealand, called Sally Eagle, who is sending her samples and may be able to handmake her a dress in time for her special day.