“Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue.”
We’ve heard this line many times during weddings since it reflects one of the most popular and well-loved wedding traditions. This Old English verse means that a bride should wear an item representing each: something old, new, borrowed, and blue.
Others find it difficult to incorporate something old in their overall look since it might not coincide with the gown, shoes, hair accessories, and what-not. Thus, the chance of ruining the bride’s look.
But this bride never had to worry about it since their family kept one thing they handed down from generation to generation.
Something Old
Julie Frank Mackey had no problems keeping with that famous wedding adage, nor if something old might ruin the look. Simply because her ‘something old’ was her wedding gown itself.
It was the wedding gown that her aunt wore at her wedding. Julie was not the only one who wore that dress; six other brides wore it in their family for the past 72 years.
Auntie Adele’s wedding dress.
Adele Larson wore the beautiful gown at her wedding with Roy Stoneberg on September 16, 1950. Seven decades down, the dress still looks as stunning as ever as it was passed down from one bride to another in their family.
She bought the gown at Marshal Field’s department store in downtown Chicago for only $100.75, which is not bad considering how it lasts for years. Since then, they passed down that same wedding dress, and Julie wanted to continue that custom they had preserved for generations.
How it started
Adele’s sister, Elly, got married three years after. Their mother asked her when she would shop for a wedding dress, but simply responded with ‘Well, why would we do that? We’ll wear this one,’ referring to Adele’s dress.
A dozen years later, Sharon Larson, Julie’s mom, was the third bride who wore the gown. She said she thought of wearing the dress for her wedding because her sisters wore it. However, she said she did it not as an obligation but because it was a fun thing to do.
Soon enough, the next generation was the one who took turns wearing it. First, Adele’s daughter Sue Stoneberg in 1982. It was followed by Elly’s daughter, Carol Milton, in 1990 and her sister Jean Milton, the year after.
The most recent bride that donned the beautiful dress was Julie.
That beautiful white dress
Julie didn’t have a problem with that custom at all. She even loved the dress!
The wedding dress has a mandarin collar that looks good in contrast to Julie’s frame. It has a lace panel, front and back, and fabric-covered buttons, giving it an exquisite classic beauty.
“When you see it up close, the fabric, the satin, and the lace are just really gorgeous and timeless,” Julie told Good Morning America.
It was a beautiful thing to see one simple wedding dress that’s supposed to serve one purpose has become a family custom that each generation got to enjoy. And as for Julie’s words, she felt it was magic seeing how the dress fit all brides perfectly.
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