Bride Surprises Grandma By Wearing Her Wedding Gown 55 Years Later

The 1962 dress is a timeless beauty.
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The story behind one bride’s “something borrowed” might just bring a tear to your eye.

When bride Jordyn Jensen of Boise, Idaho married groom Dakota Cleverly on Sept. 23, she wore the same long-sleeved lace dress that her grandma Penny Jensen wore at her own wedding back in 1962.

Bride Jordyn Jensen wore the same wedding gown her grandma wore in 1962.
Bride Jordyn Jensen wore the same wedding gown her grandma wore in 1962.

What makes this story even sweeter is that the bride didn’t tell Grandma Penny ― whose husband died before Jordyn was born ― that she planned to wear the dress until the night of the rehearsal dinner. That’s when Jordyn and her wedding photographer Kortney Peterson surprised Penny during a special “first look” photo shoot.

Grandma Penny Jensen didn't know about her granddaughter's plans until the night of the rehearsal dinner.
Grandma Penny Jensen didn't know about her granddaughter's plans until the night of the rehearsal dinner.

“I didn’t want her to see [the dress] for the first time walking down the aisle and just start sobbing and [have] all those memories come back to her,” Jordyn told Inside Edition.

Even the photographer started bawling during the first look shoot.
Even the photographer started bawling during the first look shoot.

The photographer shared the emotional images on the Love What Matters Facebook page, calling it, “a first look unlike any other I’ve done before.”

“The grandmother had no idea the bride even had her dress in her possession. Jordyn and I stepped out [of the rehearsal dinner] and got her all ready and into the dress,” Kortney told HuffPost. “We got her grandmother to step outside and we showed her the old photo of her in the dress that was going to be displayed at the wedding.”

The bride held a framed photo of her grandma in the same dress.
The bride held a framed photo of her grandma in the same dress.

Then Penny turned around and saw Jordyn sporting the timelessly elegant gown.

“It was an absolutely beautiful moment and everyone around was silent,” Kortney told HuffPost. “Tears began to stream from everyone’s faces.”

Grandma Penny was "just speechless," the bride said.
Grandma Penny was "just speechless," the bride said.
Such a beautiful moment.
Such a beautiful moment.

The bride told Inside Edition that the moment left her grandma “just speechless.”

“I kind of blacked out for a second because it was such an emotional rollercoaster. All I heard her saying in the back was, ‘Wow, wow, wow.’ I finally went up and hugged her and she whispered in my ear, ‘I married my high school sweetheart in this dress and so will you.’”

The bride poses with her husband in the timeless gown.
The bride poses with her husband in the timeless gown.

During the shoot, perfectly clear skies suddenly gave way to rain showers, which the family thought could be a sign from the bride’s late grandfather.

“We all viewed that as sweet teardrops from heaven,” Kortney told HuffPost. “Since her grandfather passed away many years ago, it was like he was there with his sweet wife watching Jordyn wearing the dress from their big day. Truly beautiful.”

HuffPost reached out to the bride for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication. This story may be updated.

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