Every bride-to-be knows that choosing a wedding dress is a difficult decision, so it is always useful to get a second opinion.
And that is exactly what 93-year-old Sylvia Martin decided to do when she asked the internet to help her pick out a dress for her upcoming nuptials.
Martin, who lives in Canberra, Australia, is getting married to her fiancé Frank Raymond, 88, in July, after dating him for more than twenty years - and turning down his proposals more than once before.
The bride, who lives with Raymond in a retirement village, had always been hesitant to tie the knot as she was worried it would be “disrespectful” to her former husband’s memory.
But after learning that she could legally keep her own surname, and suffering a period of ill health that meant she had to relocate to the Australian capital to be near her family, Martin reassessed her relationship.
Although Raymond had long given up, thinking all hope was lost, Martin decided to give their love story a happy ending and agreed that he could (finally) put a ring on it.
Touched by the couple’s romantic story, the staff at the Birdsnest store, where Martin and her bridesmaids went shopping, wanted to share the romance on their Facebook page.
“We’re thrilled to play a tiny role in Sylvia’s love story - and think you’ll love it, too,” they wrote. “So, what should Sylvia wear to her wedding?”
And the internet rose to the challenge, with nearly 10,000 comments in 48 hours, as thousands of strangers wanted to help Martin make the right decision.
Jillienne Hoyle said: “Sylvia should wear whatever makes her happy. She looks fantastic in all four outfits! Congrats Sylvia. It sounds like your lucky fiancé will love you whatever you wear.”
Sue Webeck said what we were all thinking: “Life is short. Grab all four! One for the ceremony, one for the reception, one for the honeymoon and one just in case. Wishing Sylvia and Frank a wonderful life together.”
Eventually Martin settled for option C, the ‘Sacha Drake Cipolla’ dress, which retails at $349, according to Distractify.
And she looks perfect.