Fatherly Fridays ~ “I’ve Bought 6 Wedding Dresses”

By Teddy Burriss

I bought my first wedding dress in 1978. It is the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen. It was far more beautiful because my bride was wearing it during my first wedding. I still have this dress in my closet and periodically I open the case it’s in just to see it.

I bought my next wedding dress in 2000. This dress was just as beautiful as my first one. I don’t remember the conversations about this dress, just that we bought it. I shed a small tear or two and was a little choked up standing beside my oldest daughter who wore this dress as she married my first son-in-law. I love this dress as much as I love my first one.

Six years later I bought my next wedding dress. This dress took quite some time for us to find. I’ll never forget the text message. A picture of a dress with these words, “I love this one Dad.” I had been waiting for what seemed like forever at a book store while the women searched for dresses. As my daughter walked towards me my wife said, “She has to have this one. Don’t ask how much.” As requested, I didn’t. Later on, as I walked my third oldest daughter, in our wedding dress, down the aisle towards her fiancé, I again choked back a few tears, especially as I pulled up her vail and hugged her before I handed her off to her husband. That was a gorgeous wedding dress.

Three years later we again searched for the perfect wedding dress. This search was a little more difficult. I’m not sure why, but we ended up buying two wedding dresses. I was about to ask “Why?”, when fortunately before the words jumped out of my mouth, my wife counseled me, “Don’t ask. Just smile and say OK.” Again, I did as she asked. It made sense during my youngest daughter’s wedding. She was happy, and looked beautiful in our wedding dress. My baby had grown up and I was one proud daddy. If it took two wedding dresses to make her happy, so be it.

I bought my last wedding dress in 2012. I expected this purchase to be a tedious task of searching, fittings and more searching. However, after searching Pinterest, online stores and one shopping trip, we found the perfect dress. I was not invited to go on this trip, but I got to see lots of pictures. I remember once or twice being asked my opinion. I’m a very smart man, from my previous wedding dress purchase experiences I knew what to say, “That dress is gorgeous honey. If you like it, I love it.” As I walked with my second oldest daughter, in our wedding dress down the aisle to her soon to be husband, I found it hard to hold back the tear (or two), especially as I handed her off to the new man in her life.

I’m not sure how much money I spent on wedding dresses. It’s irrelevant. My life has been immensely blessed from the changes buying these dresses has created in my life.

I got to marry the woman of my dreams and 35 years later she claims to still love me. This is great, because I love her just as much today as I did the day she wore our first wedding dress.

I got to be a part of raising four beautiful daughters . They were beautiful in our wedding dresses, and even more beautiful women, wives, mothers and people.

I’ve collected a stable full of stallions who are now great friends and care takers of both my daughters and four or five of my wedding dresses. And, today, I’m the proud Grandfather to seven Grandchildren. I’ll drop what I am doing at any time to go help or play with these youngsters.

I probably won’t buy any more wedding dresses, but I’m blessed to have bought these six.

Teddy Burriss, the father of four fantastic daughters and the loving husband of Rebecca (aka Bum) is a world renowned Networking Strategist, an accomplishedauthor, public speaker, avid social media engager and blogger. Teddy is a proven authority of the principles and practices of Networking for Mutual benefit and Building Relationships through Social Media.

Find out more about Fatherly Fridays here!
Previous Fatherly Fridays:
Ten Easy Ways Dads can be More Involved with Their Kids – by Travis Finn
5 Parenting Tips from a Seasoned Dad – by Kim Williams
Programmer Preschool – by Scott Rigdon
Tolerance – by James Raper
Oh So Very Wrong – by Jon Lowder