Link

Yes, it’s fetching, and there’s a real story behind this dress, as well. The parachute saved the life of pilot Maj. Claude Hensinger when he bailed out of his disabled B-29 over Japan in 1944. It was his blanket and pillow as he waited for rescue. In 1947, he gave it to his girlfriend when he proposed to her, and she made it into the skirt portion of her wedding dress. The dress was also worn by their daughter and then by their son’s bride in later weddings. Now it belongs to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Link -via Boing Boing

Kevin Cotter was devasted when his wife of 12 years moved out last July. She packed up the car with all her possessions but she left one thing in her closet. “What do you want me to do with that?” he asked her.  “Whatever you #@$%# want,” she replied, and left.

To help himself cope with the trauma of divorce, Cotter set up a website called “My Ex-Wife’s Wedding Dress” and decided to invent 101 uses for the dress.  So far he has documented 23 uses, including pasta strainer, skipping rope, barber smock, dog bed, camera lens cleaner, Christmas tree skirt, coffee filter and barbecue cover. Kevin demostrates its use as a dog toy, above.

He has asked for help from readers to think up more uses so he will reach his goal of 101. Cotter’s website has attracted lots of fans and his ex-wife is not happy about his project.

“Nothing about divorce is pleasant or easy and I will share some of my experiences and at the same time lighten them up with some creative uses for this dress I was stuck with.”

Link to story. Link to website.  -via Arbroath

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.

Primary school teacher Rachael originally had the white dress made for her by parents of pupils for a term time recyclable materials fashion show last month.

But when fiancé Duncan popped the question while on holiday in Canada days later, she knew exactly which dress she would be wearing for the official ceremony.

The dress is made from sheets of carefully stitched bubble wrap, attached to an inner cloth lining, and finished off with white foam packaging material and Haribo sweets.

The couple had a second, more traditional ceremony for the families back home in England. Link -via Unique Daily

A woman named Lukka Sigurdardottir made this edible wedding dress. Or, alternatively, a wearable wedding cake.

Link via Digg | Image: Gather and Nest

It took guests more than three hours to roll out the gown, complete with 9,999 silk red roses attached to it, in the northeastern province of Jilin, state news agency Xinhua said.

"Both the length of the dress and the number silk roses pinned on the wedding dress can make history," the report quoted groom Zhao Peng as saying.

Zhao, who has applied to Guinness World Records, said he was inspired after seeing a story on the previous record holder in Romania, where the dress measured just over 1.5 km.

"I do not want a cliche wedding parade or banquet," he said.

Link (photo: Reuters/Stringer)

Here’s a custom-designed camouflage wedding dress by Erika Sárközi that will surely strike fear into the heart of the prey, … er groom. (Photography: visual Images)

Many more Camouflage Wedding photos at Tacky Weddings | More Terribly Trashy Tuxes at Rue the Day!

Weddings are usually formal occasions where brides can often spend beaucoup bucks on the perfect wedding dress to make themselves beautiful and refined.

But not these women. No, sirree! They seem to belong to the if-you-got-’em-flaunt-’em school of thought.

Here’s the 10 trashiest wedding dresses, as listed in Rue the Day blog: Link

Update 11/16/08 – More here: Link - Thanks eh!