Jade Stephenson has always loved her grandmother’s wedding dress.
So much so that once, Stephenson even asked her grandmother to keep hold of it so she could wear it for a special occasion.
And when she realized her 80-year-old grandma wouldn’t be able to travel to attend her graduation at Liverpool Hope University, Stephenson knew the time had come.
“I originally tried the dress on a few years ago, so I knew what it looked like on and her face then lit up,” she told CNN. “So I knew that asking her if I could wear it for graduation would make her smile.”
“Also, my grandad died in 2009 and to me, it felt like part of him was there with me on such a special day,” she added.
Stephenson sported the dress under her cap and her gown last week, at the ceremony to collect her primary school teaching degree at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.
Nora, her grandmother, lives in Carlisle, more than 130 miles from Liverpool. She was overwhelmed when she saw the pictures of her granddaughter, and honored that she chose that dress for her special day, Stephenson said.
“My grandma and I are very close, I speak to her when I can and whenever I’m home I catch up with her. I see a lot of my own traits in her, I think we are very similar people,” Stephenson said. “I’ve always loved my grandma’s dress. Although it’s 32 years old, it’s timeless and very me.”
Stephenson said several people complimented her on her fashion choice for the ceremony.
“I think people thought it was quite heart-warming,” she said. “Considering how old it is, the dress is in really good condition. My gran has looked after it very well.”
