My wedding dress has been in storage (save for the odd trip down memory lane which would be 2 times) since the last time I wore it... January 30 1988.
It has been through many many house moves, always in the box that my wedding bouquet arrived in. Along with the hoop and veil - yes I was a bride in the 80's lol.
When my first child came along, I asked my Mother, a professional seamstress if she would cut up my gown to make what I believed would be the THE most beautiful Christening Robe in the history of ever.
She refused.
Knowing what had gone into that gown, it was sacrilege to her to take to it with a pair of scissors.
And so it stayed in the box.
It made a brief appearance in 2011 when my daughter was getting married - not that she would have considered wearing it but it was a kind of fun thing to do to try on my dress.
And it went back in the box.
Recently on facebook I noticed something that caught my eye, in a big way.
Angel Gowns.
Gowns are lovingly made for Angel Babies, babies who for many reasons don't come home with their parent/s. These gowns are made from Wedding dresses!
Right away I knew where my wedding dress, still in a box was going.
I contacted Angel Gown Program Australia to find out how to go about sending my dress. In the process I joined the team!
(follow the link to their website or search on facebook - NICU Helping Hands Angel Gown Program - Australia
This is an unedited copy of what you will read on their landing page:
We are a community organisation of volunteers who hope to touch the hearts of everyone in Australia especially those who suffer the tragic loss of their baby.
From donated wedding gowns we lovingly hand craft Angel Gowns which are then gifted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units, and Hospitals all around Australia for babies who are born sleeping and grow their wings far too soon.
With your help we will be able to gift our Angel Gowns to all Australian families when the most unimaginable loss happens.
I took my wedding dress out, took photographs, lots of close ups of the beautiful detail and put it back in the box.
The next step is to deconstruct it so that many many angel gowns can be cut from the fabric. Nothing is wasted. Tulle is used to make Tutus (another aspect of this amazing organisation). Embellishments are saved as are any buttons. There is a very talented team of seamstresses that weave their sewing machine magic and make these Angel Gowns ready for donation.
I have signed on as a volunteer for this amazing organisation, the repurposing of Wedding dresses to be made into Angel Gowns is an ingenius idea!
This will help, albeit in a very small way. families grieving the loss of their baby/babies.
I have an angel baby. This year my daughter would be 16.
Finding something for her to wear for her funeral was one of the hardest things I had to do.
I had limited time, limited physical ability, limited funds.
To have been relieved of this mammoth task would certainly have been one less thing I had to worry about and yes deal with. Shopping for the teeniest tiniest clothes (that didn't exist as I discovered after searching for hours), the only outfit your baby will ever wear, was so hard.
Words do not begin to describe how hard.
I could not find anything.
Not one thing.
At all.
Anywhere.
The prettiest and most appropriate item I found was a little pink and white blanket in Myers.