Friday, February 10, 2012

The Dress

I saw a pin the other day with a little girl, probably Kalynn's age, sitting in her mother's wedding dress and the picture said "photograph your little girl in your wedding dress to display at her wedding."

I thought "Wow! What a cute idea! I have to do this!"

And then I read the comments. All 138 of them.

I have heard both sides to this argument. It seems as if half the ladies were gushing and raving about what a brilliant idea this was. The other half saying it wasn't right to already be planning your daughter's life and that if she never got married she would know you were disappointed in her and that it was wrong to focus your daughter on the idea that landing a man and standing in a pretty dress with him at the alter was the peak of life for a woman.

I mean, come on! Really?

I want my daughter to be happy. Regardless of how she feels about marriage how ever many years down the line. I would never in a million years raise my daughter to be anything other than happy with herself in her own skin. If she chooses to marry a man, as long as he makes her happy, she will have my unconditional blessing. If she chooses another road, she'll have it then too. But for right now, she's a 2 year old. A very girly one at that. And she is by her own choosing. One who loves dressing up and wearing my makeup and having her hair done, and dancing in front of the mirror, and having her nails painted and wearing many many many bracelets.

So I broke out my wedding dress and my veil and I sat back and watched her reaction which was to immediately widen her eyes and say "pretty!" about 100 times while she rapidly undressed so she could try it on. And then she wanted the "Minnie bow" which is what she calls anything that goes in her hair like clips, bobby pins, barrettes, veils etc.

I mean, come on! Who am I to tell her she can't try on a dress that makes her feel pretty? If it were up to her, she'd wear frilly dresses everyday of the week and even to bed. It doesn't mean I'm going to frame it and display it at her wedding reception or force her into a race to find a man and settle down. It just means that on a Friday afternoon, she played dress up and I took some pictures because she looked cute. I would have taken and posted the same amount of photos and thought she was just as oh-so-adorable if she were to have dressed up as a firefighter or a nurse or a polar bear. So there.

your daughter in your wedding dress as a gift to her on her wedding day www.thebrighterwriter.blogspot.com








photograph your daughter in your wedding dress as a gift for her wedding www.thebrighterwriter.blogspot.com


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29 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Absolutely not my idea, but I love it so much!

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    2. "Like Mother, Like Daughter" just beautiful!!!

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    3. This is a beautiful idea and even if your daughter doesnt marry she has a beautiful picture dressed as a princess what little girl wouldnt love that as a keepsake...we all want to feel like a princess or queen for that matter. Its lovely

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  2. so cute!!!! i'm sure she will be in tears when presented with this photo on her big day!

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  3. I think this is so special. I would have loved a pic of my only daughter in my dress. Just think if you so this then your daughher and then your granddaughter and so on what a wonderful string of memories that would be. Love love it. <3

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    1. What a great idea! Generation traditions are the best xo

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  4. what a brilliant idea! i love this and will definitely do with my daughter. you're so right! it changes nothing about who you child will become by letting them wear your dress!

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  5. Love it. I'm not married and chose to be a single mom. I have a little boy. I will be passing this along to my other mom friends with girls as I think this is adorable!

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    1. Great! Maybe you could take one of your little guy in a tux? Thanks for reading!

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  6. Love love love this idea! What I would give to have a picture of myself in my mother's wedding dress!

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  7. I love the idea and think the first pic of your daughter is about the most darling face I've ever seen. I am breaking out my wedding dress for my 8-year-old to try on, and taking photos!

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    1. You're so sweet! She's definitely a camera ham! Thanks for reading! How did your pictures turn out?

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  8. Thank you!!! Beautiful pictures and well written story. I agree with your point and can't wait to have a fun photo shoot with my little girl! Love love the idea.

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  9. It's like the patriarchy in a single picture.

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  10. Wonderful idea! And it doesn't have to stop with a wedding dress. One of my favorite pictures of my son (who is now 26) was taken when he was about 4 years old and wanted to dress up in his daddy's work shirt and tie. He still smiles everytime I pull out that picture!

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  11. I was shocked when i saw this beautiful picture!! It is really beautiful and so exectely my daughter when se was around 2 years... Liefs Marcella

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  12. I was going to try this with my daughter, but the pics turned out terrible. How did you get the dress to stay up on the top and not fall down?
    The pic on pinterest that I saw said to put the pic away until her wedding day. I love that idea!! :-)

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    1. Oh no! I used safely pins and some small stitches around the arms. I held chocolate chip cookies up to the camera to get the smile I wanted :)

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  13. My daughter is now 10 years old and we have taken her picture almost every year (7) times in my wedding dress. We try to do it each summer around her birthday. Our son has had is picture taken in my husbands first suit for 5 years. its neat to see them grow into it. Deb - Louisville, Ky

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  14. Wow what a great idea. Beautiful pictures and the little girl looks like a princess. This will make a great wedding gift.

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