Barb Upshaw, 68, gave her husband, Chuck Upshaw, 78, a surprise by putting on her wedding dress for the first time in over 36 years.
The couple married on September 16, 1989, at University United Methodist Church in East Lansing, Michigan. Barb was 31 and Chuck was 41 at the time. The gown had been stored since the wedding, but Barb tried it on again after losing 30 pounds.
The couple’s daughter, Kayla Turpin, 33, told People, “She said she felt beautiful and confident that she could fit into it again. She was so excited to show my dad.”
Turpin, who was living with her parents at the time of the big reveal, was excited for her mother upon realizing her plan. She even assisted in zipping up the dress.
“As a wedding photographer and storyteller, I knew this was a moment I wanted to document. I quietly pulled out my phone when she said she wanted to go show my dad. I recorded it discreetly and encouraged her to go out and show him,” Turpin remarked. “In that moment, I felt incredibly grateful to have parents who are still so deeply in love after decades of marriage.”
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Barb truly did surprise Chuck by walking into their living room wearing her vintage wedding dress—a long-sleeved, ivory gown with a peplum waist.
The sweet moment was captured in a now-viral Instagram video posted by Turpin. The video showed Chuck speechless and in awe. After telling Barb she “looks great,” he gave her a tender kiss.
Turpin recounted, “When my dad saw her, he did a double take. Once he realized it was her wedding dress, he was so pleased and genuinely happy to see her in it. He was excited for my mom and proud that she could fit into it again.”
Barb and Chuck first crossed paths at St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, where they both worked. This was three years before they eventually married.
Turpin shared, “At first, they spent time together in a group of coworkers who would go out for happy hour. One day, my dad asked my mom to lunch, just the two of them. During that lunch, he told her that he wanted to get to know her better. After lunch, he kissed her, and my mom said to him, ‘Oh, that’s how you want to get to know me.'”
Chuck proposed at The River Crab, a small hotel they continue to visit annually, in the early summer of 1989.
“My mom was laying out by the pool when my dad had flowers delivered to her with a note that said, ‘Will you marry me?'” Turpin shared. “My mom didn’t want an engagement ring, so the proposal was a little untraditional. For their wedding rings, they chose matching gold bands made of three gold rings fused together.”
Barb and Chuck were married in the chapel of the church they continue to attend today. They later expanded their family by adopting two children, Turpin and her younger brother.
The couple offers their guidance on maintaining a strong marriage.
“My mom says it comes down to good communication and a willingness to compromise,” Turpin says.
Turpin shares the advice on a strong marriage offered by her parents. “My mom says it comes down to good communication and a willingness to compromise.”
Her father, meanwhile, says, “It’s important to have a good sense of humor about things, to laugh at yourself, and to never go to bed angry. If there’s an argument or disagreement, he believes it’s important to end the night on a good note before going to sleep.”
Turpin remarked, “At their current ages, it’s the little things that matter. Seeing them light up together over something as simple and meaningful as my mom fitting into her wedding dress again and my dad’s excitement seeing my mom in the wedding dress since their wedding day reminded me of what truly matters in love.”
