Posted on 07/02/2012 3:06:27 PM PDT by NYer
I’m about to venture into dangerous territory. It is territory that is doubly dangerous because it has to do with women’s fashions, AND weddings, two areas where men should never seek to render any opinion whatsoever. I don’t know if it helps to point out that the idea I am about to brook came from a woman, but in case it helps, I offer this character witness on my behalf.
Even more dangerously I am going to suggest something about THE most critical aspect of wedding fashions: “The Dress,” as in, “The WEDDING DRESS.” Yes, I must go delicately into that world “where no man has gone before….” 
Yet there is a tradition about the wedding dress that is so beautiful and moving that I felt I had to share it. Some of you may say, “Oh Father, we have done that for generations in my family.” But I had never heard of it, and though I am not the most savvy and informed, I suggest that others have not heard it either.
The tradition I speak of is that of taking the wedding gown and, instead of packing it away in some trunk, the gown is converted to baptismal robes or gowns for the children that will come. In some cases, where there is a lot of fabric, several gowns for children can be made. In the case of simpler wedding gowns with less flowing folds etc, one baptismal gown (or robe) is made to be worn by all the children who will come.
What a beautiful tradition (it seems to me) that links the wedding and the marriage to blessed pro-creation and to the gift of children. Weddings are a day when we celebrate love, beauty and attraction. And the wedding gown celebrates these powerfully. And yet love, beauty and the attraction of the spouses for each other is meant to bear fruit, the fruit of children. Yes, children are the fruit of the marital love that is celebrated on the wedding day. How fitting it seems, that the dress that signals love, marriage, beauty and attraction, should become the fabric of the baptismal robes for the children, who are the holy fruit of that love.
I can see that such an idea may not always be possible. Some women do not, in fact, purchase a special dress just for the wedding. Back in 1959, when my mother was married, it was not uncommon for women to rent a gown or to wear a gown passed down from their mother or a friend. The photo at the upper right is of my mother in a wedding dress, a dress that she and several other of her friends had passed down, with necessary alterations.
But these days most brides tell me that they buy their own wedding dress. The costs some of them quote to me, scare me, especially since the dress will only be worn once. I understand now why, in the old days, dresses were often handed down, from mother to daughter or from close friend to close friend.
But for those who own their wedding dress and wear it only once, what do you think of the possibility of converting it to a baptismal gown or robe for your children? I think it is a beautiful thought, but I am just “some dude.” I can almost hear some women now reaching over to pat my hand and say, “Oh Father, you’re such a dear, but you really have no idea of what you speak. Leave such topics to the experts and stay in your own lane.”
And yet I really do wonder what many of you think. It seems quite a beautiful thought to me. How say you ??
Here are some very nice and modest wedding dresses (but what do I know, I’m just some dude).
LOL!
After this generation of young women is ruined by watching “BrideZillas “ and thinking that a wedding is all about me, me, me, me and what I want....not about a scared bond between a man and women and God...
No wonder no guys want to get married....
I always think the girls that buy the dresses that run in the $ 10,000’s of dollars must be insane....and their husbands to be are morons....
I have seem women buy dresses that cost more than my first house I bought in 1985
I thought this was going to be about sending your wedding gown money to Barack.
We had several nieces who went through a phase of wanting to get married so they could get dressed up in wedding outfits. I gave them my wedding dress to play dress up with. That seemed to satisfy their curiosity and postpone their hurry to get married right away. Don’t know what finally happened to it; probably sent to Goodwill or else in shreds by now.
The dress was just hanging in a closet collecting dust; and back then they “preserved” the dresses in a solution. What for? That was sort of like keeping ashes on the mantel to me long after they should be buried. (We didn’t have a daughter.)
I was saving my wedding gown for my daughters, but God gave me boys, so...when they get married, if their fiancees don’t want it, I’ll make baptismal gowns for the grandkids.
I should be able to make a bunch of ‘em just from the train alone!
Regards,
PS: I concur with other posters; this has been a tradition for a long time.
Ack! It looks like she’s had a few too many. I wonder if that gown was made that way or if it just...I dunno...FELL.
Regards,
PS: I can’t wait for sleeves to come back to wedding gown fashion...bleeech on the strapless ones!
I would have to agree with you there. I attended the wedding of one of my younger brothers about 4 years ago, the bride had a $10,000 wedding cake that was flown in. $10K for a cake!
The marriage lasted 2.5 years. She wants children, he doesn’t. Apparently it was not one of the things they spoke about prior to getting married.
They are both to blame, but when I found out what they were spending (because they bragged about it), I was in shock.
When I got married (more than 20 years ago), I had a $300 wedding dress, I got the bridesmaids dresses from Sears, and actually tried to pick something that was flattering and they could hopefully wear again.
Unfortunately, my marriage didn’t last, but if it had, I would have loved the idea of repurposing the dress as christening outfits, or similar. As it was, I gave mine to the goodwill store and I hope someone got good use of it.
I'm pretty sure that's not quite what you meant to say.
My wedding dress cost about $250 for the fabric and seamstress.
Couldn't be.....the dress doesn't have electric lights.
I agree with you. I never wanted a big wedding. My husband and I got married in Gatlinburg, TN. I went to a bridal outlet with my future sister-in-law and picked out a dress for $300. We’re coming up on sixteen very happy years, and I’ve never regretted all the money saved and the headaches missed.
OH, good point ... what was I thinking?!?
I’ve never understood the topless-wedding-gown concept. Is the bride hoping she’ll get a higher bid before she reaches the altar?
LOL...sadly, I’d venture to say that might be the case with some of them.
I watched an episode of “Bridezillas” while I was at my parents’ last month. I could’t believe both the grooms went through with it.
Oh, gosh...I watched part of an episode last night. The screaming and the shrieking and the entitlement mentality were unreal. I hit the DVR button to tape the last part of the show because I believe the groom dumped her at the altar, and I want to see it happen, LOL.
There are some crazy women out there ... and guys who will marry them. Hard to believe. One woman wanted all the bridesmaids to bleach their hair. Another tried to get a photographer to take her pictures for nothing and try to deduct it as a charitable contribution.
LOL!
I’m sorry, but any man who marries a woman like that deserves everything he gets.
LOL...Doh ! You are right... strike "not"
I actually laughed out loud.
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