This woman created her own wedding dress using the parachute that had saved her husband's life
Every woman wants her wedding day to be perfect; and for this purpose, she does not leave out any important wedding details.
But surely, among all the aspects to be organized, there is one that occupies the place of honor in the mind and heart of the future bride --- the wedding dress.
So, when the great moment has arrived, she looks incessantly and without regards to expense for the wedding dress that has occupied her dreams since she was a young girl.
And, what if instead, the dress should realize the dream of the future groom, and evoke the moment - indeed, the object - that made their love possible? Well, that is what happened to Ruth and Claude.
See the link with the original photo of the bride Ruth Hensinger wearing this wedding dress on her wedding day in 1947. Shown with the groom Major Claude Hensinger. Published by Belinda Webb on Monday, 20 February 2017
In terms of wedding dresses, the average expense - according to The Knot - is $1750 USD (1,544 EUR) which is a considerable sum for a dress that will be worn only for a single day in one's life --- although, for some, the most important.
On one hand, therefore, there is the average wedding dress; and on the other, diametrically opposed, there is the experience of Ruth and Claude Hensinger who got married in 1947. If you are thinking that now times have changed, wait to read their story.
Let's go back to 1944: then, Major Claude, still a bachelor, was an American B-29 pilot during the Second World War. Unfortunately, while he was trying to get home, his engine caught fire following a bombing on Yawata, Japan. Claude, like his fellow crew members, had to abandon their plane, and he did, of course, using a parachute. This life-saving flight paraphernalia not only allowed him to save himself from the aircraft before it exploded but also turned out to be extremely versatile.
In fact, after his emergency parachute landing in China, Claude spent the night sheltered from the cold thanks to the parachute, which he also used to bandage his wounds after landing on the surrounding rocks. The next day, he and his fellow aircrew members were rescued and returned home to the United States; and Claude brought the parachute back with him.
This wedding dress was made from a nylon parachute that saved Major Claude Hensinger during World War II. Published by USA.gov on Thursday, 12 January 2012
At the end of the war, Claude began dating a childhood friend, Ruth, and in 1947, Claude finally decided to ask her to marry him. And he made his proposal in a rather original way: in place of the engagement ring, he presented himself to Ruth, holding the parachute that had saved his life, and said, "I want you to make this into a wedding gown." Ruth, although, happy and excited, immediately thought about how was she supposed to turn a parachute into a wedding dress?
The answer came while watching the movie "Gone with the Wind". In fact, Ruth fell in love with one of the dresses worn by the protagonist, Scarlet O'Hara and chose it as a model for her wedding dress. The rest also easily fell into place. In fact, while she was designing and sewing the skirt, a local dressmaker, Hilda Buck, made her the veil and bodice.
And it was in this magnificent wedding dress that Ruth showed up on her wedding day, and Claude found himself together with the parachute that had saved his life and the woman of his life.
After bringing such good fortune to the couple and blessing them with a marriage that lasted for over 49 years, the parachute-wedding dress is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History.
A fantastic story! Now, do you have any new ideas for your own dream wedding dress?
