The Haunted Wedding Dress

“What a beautiful ring!” mother said as she examined the ruby engagement ring. Matt and I had been going out together since high school, and now, five years later, we decided to get married. It was no great surprise to my family or his and the two families went out for an “Engagement Meal”. Everyone was very happy.

We’d planned to get married within six months. We already had an apartment in the city and had been living together for over a year. I was on cloud nine. I didn’t want the big church wedding my brother had had, just a quiet one at the registry office with me in just a smart dress suit. No bridesmaids but I did want a bouquet of roses, pink and white. “No, I’m not pregnant Nan”, I had to try and convince my Nan that we were getting married because we loved each other and for no other reason.

One afternoon, mother asked me to help her sort out Nan’s house. It had been in the family for over a hundred years but Nan was “old” now and wanted to move into an old people’s nursing home. There was one just round the corner from where Matt and I lived, So I thought it was perfect because we could visit Nan every day. My brother wanted the house and so there was a lot to sort out, both legally and physically. I had a few days off work and was happy to help. Nan’s house had always been full of treasures and antiques, and I loved visiting as a child.

We both arrived at Nan’s at 1pm, and Nan had tea and cakes ready (as usual). We all sat round, in the sitting room, and had a lovely chat. “Well, this won’t get your rooms cleared”, said mother and we both went upstairs to one of the bedrooms. There were three bedrooms and one bathroom upstairs, with Nan’s bedroom, sitting room, bathroom and kitchen downstairs. I believe Nan said that the house went back to Queen Victoria’s day.

We started in the back bedroom. It was the smallest and was being used more for storing things than an actual bedroom. Nan said that the last time someone had slept in there was when my uncle Timothy (mother’s youngest brother) had stayed with her, over fifteen years ago. Mother and I started going through the boxes. There were mostly old magazines and newspapers, quite a few books and, wow, there was even an old wardrobe full of clothes. It took up a whole wall space, with a mirror and dressing table in the middle. “I remember using this when I was a teenager”, said mother and we opened the wardrobe. What beautiful dresses!

“These aren’t mine!” said mother. They looked more Victorian in style, and they were beautiful colours with beautiful materials. One in particular caught my eye. Yes, a wedding dress in ivory. “Maybe this was Nan’s?” I said and we both carried it carefully downstairs to ask her. “This was your great-great-grandma’s”, Nan told me. I asked if I could try it on, it looked about my size, and both mother and Nan helped me into it.

It was a perfect fit! Even the length was just right. I felt beautiful in it. Ivory lace over ivory satin with a full skirt and a corset-like top, with lace sleeves. The collar was high around the neck. Both mother and Nan were smiling and mother was taking a picture on her phone, and then — the whole scene changed.

I was transported back into Victorian times and the room was full of people. There was a bride and groom but I wasn’t the bride, I was the maid of honour, still in the same beautiful dress, holding the arm of a man who looked very similar to Matt, my fiance. Everyone was toasting the bride and groom as they cut the modest, white wedding cake. Everything and everyone faded away and I was now looking into a full-length mirror, still in the same dress but a young Victorian woman was looking back at me.

“You are my great-great-granddaughter and I want you to wear this dress for your own wedding. I wore it during a very happy time in my life, before death overshadowed me and took me in childbirth. Please wear it and free me from this sadness. Your daughter will thank you for it”.

Everything went black and I went into a deep sleep. When I opened my eyes again, mother and Nan were still smiling at me, and I was still in the ivory wedding dress standing up, with mother taking the picture on her phone. It seemed that a split second had gone by, although to me it had felt like an hour. I must have had a puzzled look on my face because mother asked if anything was the matter. Nan, though, looked as if she knew something. “I’d better take it off, I don’t want to tear it, the material looks so fragile”, I said smiling, and changed back into my own clothes as mother hung the ivory wedding dress on the door. “Why don’t you wear it for your own wedding?” asked Nan, smiling.

We carried on clearing the small bedroom and worked on until tea time. Nan said that I could have the dresses, especially the ivory wedding dress, which I thanked her for and gave her a great big cuddle.

Three months later, Matt and I married. We said our vows at the registry office and then went to Nan’s for a small reception, and, yes, I did wear the beautiful Victorian ivory wedding dress. Whilst cutting the cake, I saw a familiar scene. The same one I saw that day I first put on the ivory wedding dress, only this time, I was the bride. We cut the pink, three-layered wedding cake whilst everyone toasted us, taking pictures on their phones. I looked around the room but this time saw our two families and the Victorian ghosts. Nan was smiling at me as if she could see it too. Behind her was my great-great-grandma, who was saying “Thank you for freeing me, safe delivery of your daughter”. Then everything went black.

I woke up in the hospital. I had fainted and they couldn’t bring me round so they phoned for an ambulance. Matt was holding my hand and smiling. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked. “What about?” I answered. “That you’re four months pregnant!” he said, “that’s why you fainted”.

The next day we went on honeymoon to Devon for seven days. We both felt we needed a break. It was lovely weather and I forgot about everything except how happy I was. We arrived home to a lovely meal at the local restaurant with our two families, and we made the announcement about the baby. Everybody was very happy. After the meal, we popped in to see Nan. It wasn’t too late and she wasn’t mobile enough to come to the meal. We told her our happy news. Nan had left the ivory wedding dress hanging up on the same door, and when I looked at it, I felt the baby move. Am I really only four months?

A week later Nan died. We knew it was coming but it was still very sad. I offered the ivory wedding dress for Nan to be buried in and mother agreed. It was a sad day when mother and I went to see Nan in the Chapel of Rest for the last time. She looked beautiful, laid out in the ivory wedding dress and the large gold cross she always wore. Whilst mother was saying goodbye, something caught my eye and I turned round. Behind us was the young Victorian woman in the ivory wedding dress with Nan beside her, holding her arm. I quickly turned round, back to mother and saw Nan, in the coffin, smiling. I felt complete calm and happiness inside of me, and I knew the baby was happy and content.

Twenty years later, our daughter, Rebecca, got married. She had chosen an ivory wedding dress to be married in. At the reception, she came up to me and said “Thank you mum, I feel so happy today”, and I heard the voice inside my head saying “Your daughter will thank you for it”.

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