8 family members have worn the same wedding outfit for 72 years.
Most brides-to-be will describe the joy and pressure of finding the perfect wedding dress.
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Most find the dress they want, but it takes time. No way. Serena Stoneberg Lipari, one bride, avoided the dress hunt. Why? Because she had one and it was in her family for 72 years. According to the Washington Post, Serena’s grandma, Adele Larson Stoneberg, acquired her dream garment, a $100 white satin gown, in Marshall Field’s department store in downtown Chicago in 1950. Adele loaned the outfit to her sisters after her wedding. Adele’s daughter and three nieces later requested the same dress for their weddings. The clothing is becoming a Stoneberg family heirloom.
That’s why Serena chose the same outfit for her August 5 Chicago wedding, 72 years after her grandmother’s. According to the Washington Post, Serena, 27, said, “There was no question that I would become the eighth bride to wear the dress.” Her grandmother Adele is deceased, but Serena was joined for a photo in the church by several other family members who had worn the dress, a long-sleeved gown with a floor-length train, high collar, and tiny elegant buttons down the back.
“When I started walking down the aisle and thought of my grandma also wearing the dress, the emotion hit me,” Serena added. “I felt a unique connection to her on my wedding day.” Serena’s wedding was gorgeous, made even more so by a dress that’s been worn eight times. Adele married Roy Stoneberg in 1950 and started a great family tradition by wearing the gown.
Adele’s sister, 90-year-old Eleanor Larson Milton, was the maid of honour. “Everyone who has been married in the dress has enjoyed a long-lasting, healthy marriage,” Julie remarked. “We intend to continue to preserve the dress — and the custom — for many weddings to come.” Sharon Larson Frank is cleaning and maintaining the dress for future family members. “I keep it in a sealed box and use a little [mannequin-like] form on top to assist the bodice preserve its shape,” Sharon said. Amazing tradition! I think the clothing is still beautiful today.
