I believe there are two camps of women in the handling of wedding dresses after the big day has come and gone: 1) the super cautious type who actually gets serious about its preservation, takes it to the cleaner, and then refuses to open it for 20 years in hopes her own child will someday want to wear it and 2) the careless type (but with good intentions to be like all those No. 1 types) who stuffs it back in the bag, hangs it in a closet somewhere in her house and promptly forgets about it.
I’ll let you take one guess as to the type I am. Needless to say, my gown has hung in the back of our guest bedroom in its white zippered bag for FIVE years now. About a year ago, I unzipped it to take a peek at what the wrath of time had done to its chiffon material. Some discoloring under the arms (to be expected, given I danced my behind off the night of my wedding) and that was about it. Fast forward to last month and my rearranging wardrobes (bringing winter duds back into my bedroom closet for the coming season). There it was again. Taunting me this time with the silly question of, “Think you can still fit into me?”
Girls, it is a dangerous proposition to ask yourself this question. And yet, there I stood, doing it anyway (and if you tell me you’ve never thought it yourself, no matter how many years removed from your own wedding, I’m calling you a liar). So earlier this week, I asked Nick for some help getting back into this dress. He furrowed his brow, gave me a “What for?” but then shrugged and said, “All right.” There was some shimmying and shaking, but you better believe I raised two Rocky-style fists of glory when I felt that zipper pull all the way up. And yeah, OK…there was a bit more “back cleavage” than there was five years ago. But the point? THE ZIPPER ZIPPED.
And that brings me to this month’s self-portrait. Yes, that’s me in my wedding dress (though, admittedly, that’s a horrible angle that doesn’t show off just how pretty my gown truly is. This shot from my bathroom is slightly better). And yes, that’s cake in my hand. Because, I thought, “If I’m going to put this gown back on, IF IT STILL FITS, well, I’m celebratin’!” (Or, in the words of Parks and Rec‘s Tom and Donna, “TREAT YO SELF.”) Because you see, on my own wedding day, I never actually ate any cake. At least, not beyond that sliver shared with Nick for an obligatory cake-cutting photo. I set my piece down, “Twist and Shout” started playing, and the next thing I knew it was whisked away and I’d forgotten all about it.
So fast forward five years to thinking this treat to myself was well-deserved. And the best part about this whole little journey (beside me giggling over its absurdity)? I still love my wedding dress every bit as much as the day I first tried it on.
What about all you wives out there? Where do you keep YOUR wedding dress? Have you ever tried it back on? I so want to hear about it in the comments!
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my mother insisted my VERY expensive dress was preserved and it now quietly sits under my childhood bed at my parents house. Would it still fit today?? Absolutely not. However, the year I got married (2008) I did try on my senior prom dress (2001) and it still fit– it was a mid-drift, 2-piece, magenta, beaded monster.. and i LOVED IT!! Wedding dress… I can pretty much guarantee that would be a negative.. well seeing as I am currently 6 months pregnant and never lost all the first baby weight to begin with — haha. But someday.. I have hope for myself! You look GREAT Gail!
Love this Gail , you look great!
My dress actually went through the no 1 phase bc my crazy step mom paid for it. When I didn’t have room for the gigantic box anywhere in my house I ripped it out and hung it up. Then my cat shredded the bottom of the bag! Every once in a while I pull it out and wonder if I could use it as a Halloween costume, but I know for a fact I won’t fit in it. 10 years and a brand new baby later I am more pounds than I want to admit away from ever getting in that dress again!!
You look beautiful by the way!!
So much fun…and YES I agree all women have asked themself at some point in time this question…I am type one and my gown is well preserved in my attic, but you better believe I would absolutely try it on if I could get to it!!! :)
First off, I LOVE this self portrait:) Secondly, I’m like you, my dress is just stuffed back in the bag, and is in the back of my closet….you kinda made me want to try mine on again too!! I didn’t eat any cake at my wedding either – I wish I would have!
i put mine on a few times a year and prance around my house. my husband thinks im silly, but i darn well have to be sure im as hot as i once was. and that is the perfect test. if it zips, im ok again till next time. seven years later, it still zips up…
gahhh, this reminds me of my idea to have you shoot erik and i back in our wedding attire!!! still dream about that… beautiful gal, beautiful dress!
First of all, damn that Twist and Shout! Wedding cake rocks! When our “assistant’ asked for my cake after we did the cake cutting, I laughed at her and walked away. I had chocolate chip cake and I wasn’t about to let it out of my sight! LOL! And to actually answer your question – sitting in the white bag in the back of our upstairs bedroom closet. :-) I tried several years ago to try it on, but didn’t bother with all the underthings. It fit, but oddly… In December we’re doing a vow renewal for our 10 year anniversary and I’m wearing everything but the dress for it – necklace, bracelet, and tiara. Because really, I spent a buttload for that tiara, I need to wear it again!
Awesome! I’ll have to ask my wife if she’s ever considered trying it back on. I know it’s here somewhere. Just thought you’d want to know that the link to the other photo of the dress isn’t working.
TREAT YO SELF! p.s. the link to the bathroom picture is broken…i wanna see! ;)
Love your post! So cute! I have to share with you what I did to my dress because I thought it was a genius idea (however, I can’t take credit for the idea). I had a seamstress turn my dress into a baptismal gown for my girls and eventually a family heirloom. It’s absolutely stunning! Pictures wouldn’t do it justice.
Ha ha ha….yeah. Thankfully, my mom keeps mine in a closet at her house, so I don’t have to be reminded too graphically about what four children and thirteen years has done to my body. The wedding dress equivalent in my closet is “do I still fit into my Madrigal costume?” And the answer is, no. No, I do not.
We didn’t get to eat any of our wedding cake, either (except that first bite) and Jesse was heartbroken. It was the one thing he expressed a strong opinion about, and it was an amazing (cheese)cake, and we got none. Sniff. He is still indignant.
LOVE this self portrait! It makes me want to have cake & try on my wedding dress. Neither of which is a good idea. My grandma ha my dress preserved & boxed & it was stupid expensive. However, someday I plan to fit into it again & would love to have pictures in it. How ridiculous is that?
Girl, you KNOW I fall into the #2 category. I loved my dress so much that I used to tease Allen that he might come home one day and find me vacuuming in it. But almost five years and one baby later, there is no way I would torture myself with the thought that it might fit. No way! I love your photo though :)
Awesome!!! I KNEW it would fit!!!! Love that you ate cake in it!!! My dress is preserved too, but I know my boobs have SHRUNK since my wedding after feeding two kids with them, so the dress would look pitiful on me.
I would say that I would love it if Joss wore my dress, but honestly, I want her to pick her own! So why the hell am I saving (2!) dresses? Lord…
Wish mine was thrown in a garment bag, still black at the hem!
LOVE this! It was my goal this year to pull it out and try it on…even though it’s only been one year and not four :) but it’s living at my parent’s home in Iowa so our anniversay came and went and still no dress tryin’ on! I can only dream of mine fitting in three years! Good for you!
Ha! I am totally type B, hang it in the closet and forget about it. My dress was skin tight, so I don’t think it would fit anymore. Boo! But you look beautiful my friend.
You are so cute!!! I am type B. 11 years later, haven’t cleaned it, and it is hanging in the white bag in a closet at my Mama’s house. Oh, and it would NEVER fit right now. I’ve gained 50 pounds since my wedding day, (marriage, two degrees, life). My goal is to fit in it for our 20th anniversary and renew our vows. Nice goals. I wanna see the other pic, but the link is broken. Love ya!!!!
Good for you, Gail!! After we got married, I was committed to putting my wedding dress on every year on our anniversary… and it happened year 1. Since then, I’ve been bad about it (or we’ve been moving, busy, or not in the same town as the dress).
For my hopes of fitting, well… that was a big part of the corset-back choice– it can go up/down a full 2 sizes :)
Gail! This is SO adorable! I hope you proudly display this photo on the fridge…heck, it’s only been 3 weeks and I’m not sure my dress fits either ;)
Gail – Since I appear to be the oldest person responding to your darling post (I got married in 1975…you figure it out!)my wedding dress is somewhat of an antique. When our oldest daughter got engaged, it was pretty obvious to me that she wanted nothing to do with my long-sleeved, high neck, wedding dress! I might add, it had a hood…very stylish, I thought, for a bride who was getting married in an arboretum in the woods!! Hey… I said it was 1975! Anyways, I took the scissors to the dress and cut off some of the lace trim. I was also lucky to have my mother’s wedding dress (circa 1942)that MY grandmother had made. I snipped some lace from that dress also and along with some lace from Abby’s fiance’s mother’s dress, I made a lovely ringbearer’s pillow for her wedding!!! Second daughter, Annie, had a piece of my wedding dress lace tied around her beautiful white bouquet at her wedding 3 weeks ago!! I’ll definitely keep snipets of my dress and my mother’s for the grandaughters. So girls, DON’T THROW IT AWAY!!!!!!!
GUH…I love you and all of your fabulousness. You’re amazing.
Your wedding was so fun. I can’t believe I don’t have pit stains too…
Very cool post. and the cake eating…. totally made the pic fabulous. I’m yet to be married, but I have all my bridesmaid dresses hanging up and do often get them out to try them on.
Looking good!
I love this picture of you! Adorable! My dress is at the back of my closet, and this past fall when my sister was searching for her wedding dress we got it out. I was stupid enough to try my dress on while I was 4 1/2 months pregnant because, “I can’t be that much bigger, right?” WRONG! :)
I LOVE THIS!!!!!! Gosh, I don’t even think mine would fit! Before my wedding I had a “I’m going to be on jstar’s blog” workout routine and I did it religiously!! Now,… not so much:( You’re such a cutie!! Love your self portraits!!!!! I may have just looked at all of them:)
Well I fully intended to be a No. 1 person…..BUT my dress is still in the back of the closet! I wouldn’t dare try it on…..I know exactly how that would go :)
Catching up on your blog and this cracks me up! I have totally thought about digging mine out of that creepy preserved box and trying it on. Cake was much deserved on your part for sure!
hahaha, gail, you crack me up!!! but you look awesome in your dress! i totally support celebrating with cake! :)