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Bride Surprises Grandmother by Wearing Her Wedding Dress from the 1960s

By Emma Taggart on October 10, 2017

Bride Wears Grandmother's Wedding Dress

During her two-year search for the perfect wedding dress, 23-year-old Jordyn Cleverly had tried on more than 30 dresses, but none of them felt quite right. Luckily, her father saved her grandmother’s stunning vintage lace gown from being donated to charity. After some sizing alterations, the “something borrowed” turned out to be exactly what Cleverly had envisioned wearing on her big day. Her now widowed grandmother, Penny Jenson, originally wore the dress down the aisle in 1962, and had no idea her granddaughter had the dress in her possession.

Cleverly kept the secret until her rehearsal dinner, two days before her September 23rd wedding in Boise, Idaho. As she stepped out, photographer Kortney Peterson captured the heart-warming moment. Cleverly looked stunning wearing the family heirloom and holding her grandmother’s wedding photograph from 55 years ago.

Describing her grandmother’s reaction, Cleverly said, “I think the light bulbs started going off when she saw me going toward her. You don’t forget what your wedding dress looks like.” With emotions running high, her grandmother was almost speechless—all she could muster was “wow.” When she was finally able to speak, she whispered, “I married my high school sweetheart in this dress, now so will you.”