A school told its staff to wear something from the back of their closet, so 2 teachers dug out their wedding dresses (2024)

While some of their colleagues wore old letterman jackets and sports jerseys, "the idea came to mind that we should dig truly to the backends of our closet and wear our wedding gowns to school," Hemenway told Business Insider.

The teachers decided to capture their coworkers' reactions and share the video on their Instagram page, Happily Ever Elementary, which has over 270,000 followers. The reel, which they uploaded in January, has since received over 11,000 likes.

"There's always a little bit of a shock value to everything, but at the end of the day, I don't think anyone we worked with was even remotely surprised that we'd do that," said Osmundson.

Having fun with the theme

Osmundson has been teaching for eight years and Hemenway for 10. Both women, who've shared an art-teacher position for three years, originally started teaching kindergarten, a grade they say allows for more silliness and fun.

"If the teachers aren't matching the energy of kids and bringing the energy, then what's the point? So we're always the ones that try and bring extra fun factor and engagement through costumes," said Osmundson.

But Hemenway, who got married 10 years ago, and Osmundson, who's been married for seven years, only agreed to arrive in their wedding dresses if the other one promised to.

After Hemenway dug out her gown from her old bedroom in her parents' house, the friends exchanged photos of their dresses, which still fit.

They also had the support of their husbands. Hemenway and her husband, Keith, took a photograph together to mark their 10th anniversary a little early, while the Osmundsons celebrated by dancing in the house.

"It was really nostalgic and meaningful," Osmundson said. "I think that was an unexpected perk of embarrassing ourselves that day."

Then it was time to show their colleagues.

"We were very nervous and anxious about what it would look like when we walked into our staff," Hemenway said. "So we waited until the room was pretty full before we walked in, and we were only met with laughs and smiles, which was great."

In the video, the two women walk into the school in their white, floor-length gowns, accessorized with their backpacks and water bottles. Their colleagues can be heard laughing and cheering, and one yells out, "Oh, yes!"

Osmundson thinks the experience provided a good lesson for the kids.

"Your students are going to gain a lot of excitement from what you do, but just don't be scared to do things," she said. "A lot of the time, what you build up in your head is a fleeting thought in other people's minds."

It also turned out to be an unexpected bonding moment with two other staff members who were wearing bridesmaid dresses.

"So even though things can be intimidating, I think doing things that sometimes scare us or might embarrass us are still worth a try," she added.

Reusing and preserving a costly item

The Knot's latest Real Weddings Study, which surveyed nearly 10,000 US couples who got married last year, found that the average wedding dress cost about $2,000.

Hemenway and Osmundson's story is one example of how people are finding creative, head-turning ways to get more wear out of their dresses. Some have opted to wear their gowns for casual nights out, while others have worn them to formal events.

Some brides have their dresses professionally preserved, which can cost between $250 and $1,000, the Knot reported. The process includes restoring and cleaning the dress before wrapping it and placing it in a box.

That can help a bride pass down their dress to a future generation or turn it into another garment — TikTok videos show brides wearing hand-me-down gowns for rehearsal dinners or receptions.

And a bride may have an easier time selling their dress in the future if it's professionally preserved.

Hemenway's dress from Bowties Bridal cost about $1,800, while Osmundson's dress from Brilliant Bridal cost about $1,000. Neither had meticulously stored their dresses before wearing them to school, but now they want to be more intentional about preserving them.

"I think moving forward when we put ours away, we showed them a little bit more love and affection," Hemenway said.

After all, there could be another dress-up day.