‘I was shocked’: Woman discovers after 25 years that dry cleaning business mixed up her wedding dress

GENESEO, Ill. (KWQC/Gray News) – A woman in Illinois recently opened her wedding dress box after 25 years only to find out that it’s a completely different gown inside.

Faith Nelson, who married in June 1999, had her dress cleaned by Collins Quality Cleaner in Fort Madison, Iowa. It was only now, years later, that she realized the mistake.

She and her husband recently celebrated their 25 anniversary, so she thought it would be a monumental moment to try on her special dress.

“When I opened the vacuum-sealed, cardboard box, duct-taped shut, and looked through the small window, I was shocked. It wasn’t my dress,” Nelson said.

She expected to find the gown she chose for her wedding day but instead discovered a dress with a JCPenney tag and a size that didn’t match hers, KWQC reported.

“My dress had cap sleeves. This one has full sleeves,” said Nelson.

According to Nelson, the mix-up happened at Collins Quality Cleaner. However, it’s no longer in business, complicating her search for the original gown.

“We kind of joked about it, then it hit me and the tears came. It was like, oh, that’s the dress. I only picked out one. I didn’t try on any others,” said Nelson.

Nelson is now searching for the woman who might have received her dress and is asking brides who had their dresses cleaned at the same cleaners around the same time to come forward.

“I just hope everybody at least from that area and that time period, 25 years ago, if you got married, just check your dress. Open up the box and relive that day.”

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