WEDDING GOWN STORIES

Seems like every woman knows at least one wedding dress story. Mention that there's a wedding coming up, and the stories come out.

"My daughter was just out of high school when she got married," related a friend. "We didn't have a lot of money at that time, so I told her I would make her dress. But I thought it best to take her to the bridal shop first in order to get some idea of the style she would like. Then we went to the fabric store to look at patterns, and I could tell by the look on her face that she was not going to forget a certain dress at the shop. We went back and bought that gown."

"When I got married, I couldn't afford a wedding dress," said another friend. "I bought a white formal, and it had a little pink trim over the bodice and matching trim at the hemline. People could see it wasn't a wedding dress," she added ruefully, "but I just couldn't afford one."

One of my favorite stories is that of Mike's sister, Carol. In the mid-'70s she bought a gown both she and her mother just loved for its simple styling. Wedding plans at that time fell through, and she eventually sold the dress to a friend with the understanding that someday she might want to buy it back. And that's what happened. When she and Max were married in 1981, she wore that gown.

[These photos were taken May 16, 1981. Photo 1 is of Carol and her brother, Mike, who gave her away. Photo 2 is of Carol, Mike, and Mother Bennie. And photo 3 is of the happy couple, Max and Carol Williams.]

HAPPY 28th ANNIVERSARY, CAROL AND MAX!