We are sure that workers and volunteers at charity shops receive an abundance of used and vintage wedding dresses.
But certainly none have tugged at heartstrings quite as much as a dress anonymously donated at a hospice charity store in Leeds.
Attached to the 1950’s style wedding gown was a handwritten note:
“I wish any lady who takes this dress to have a life with her loved one 56 years like I did,” the notes reads. “Happy years. I was a Lucky man to marry a lady like mine.”
The stunning lace bridal gown was amongst a bag of clothes donated to St Gemma’s Hospice
But the store’s employees were mostly enamoured with the note pinned to the wedding dress, which wished for love and happiness for the woman who bought it.
The staff were so moved, they immediately put photographs of the dress and the note on their social media page, which garnered a great response from followers.
“It’s captivated people’s imagination. Via social media we’ve had enquiries about the dress from America and all over the place,” a spokesperson for the charity said.
They received an outpouring of support in the search for the gentleman and within a week they had found their mystery doner:
“We have news! We have found the kind gentleman who donated the beautiful vintage wedding dress to St Gemma’s Hospice this week. He is over the moon that we are giving somebody the opportunity to buy the gorgeous gown on ebay. He is a big fan of St Gemma’s Hospice and is overwhelmed with the International attention that his late wife’s dress is generating. He is so happy and proud that the Hospice will benefit from funds raised by the auction of the dress. He wishes to remain anonymous and we fully respect his decision but he is watching the media frenzy with interest and thinks it is wonderful. We have thanked him so much for his kindness and he would like to thank everyone for their support.”
“Brilliant result, I can imagine his pride and the pride his late wife would have felt for her beloved husband,” one comment said.
“I totally respect his wish for anonymity, but pleased that he now knows we think he is amazing,” another read.
The dress is currently on sale through eBay and is describe as a vintage lace, size-small dress with peplum and a netting skirt with lace flowers. Though there is a stain under the netting, St. Gemma’s said that it can’t be seen unless the netting is lifted and the dress is otherwise in great condition.
If you’re superstitious and want a wedding dress that led to what sounds like it was an amazing marriage, this dress might be worth buying — current bidding is at ₤560 or $US868 at the time of this post, and St. Gemma’s also ships internationally.
Would you want to by this dress? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
