Illinois – Twenty-five years later, what should have been a reminder of one of the happiest days of Faith Nelson’s life has turned into a bad memory.
On her recent wedding anniversary, Nelson was feeling nostalgic and decided to open the vacuum-sealed box that contained her wedding dress, pristine and frozen in time. That's what she was expecting anyways...
There was a wedding dress inside the box, bright white with a lace bodice and pearl embellishments… but the similarities to Nelson's gown stopped there. The box she had quietly coveted all these years held another woman’s happily ever after.
“I was in complete shock,” said Nelson about opening the box sealed in 1999. “It was the only dress I tried on. That was the dress I wanted, and now I was hoping to pass it along to my girls when they get married.”
With an average price of $300-$400 to archive a wedding dress, Nelson’s frustration is understandable. Plus, Collins Quality Cleaner in in Fort Madison, IA, which preserved her gown closed years ago.
“I’m hoping that whoever owned the cleaners at the time and sold it will point me in the right direction… if anything I will go back and check the local paper to see who got married at that time,” said Nelson.
For now, Nelson said she’s “hoping somebody knows something.”
Annie Gimbel
