by Betsy Pennink, with photos by Therapeutic Recreation
--Betsy's article appeared in the September, 2010 issue of Medford Leas Life--

How many brides preserve their wedding dresses for years? How many bridesmaids and maids-of-honor keep the dresses they wore at friends’ weddings? The answer is “lots.” The staff of Therapeutic Recreation put on a fashion show in June that proved it.

To the delight of residents from Assisted Living and Estaugh gathered in the Activities Room, six charming young staff members modeled eight dresses worn by brides and seven dresses worn by bridesmaids and maids-of-honor, all but one of which had been provided by Medford Leas staff. (Five prom and ball gowns were also included in the show, for good measure.)

There were oohs and aahs as Terry Tuffnell, Jessica Magdziak, Danielle Peterson, Marcy Smith, Colleen D’Arcy, and Shelby Jones promenaded several times down the room and back, each time in different dresses. (Shelby was borrowed from Dining Services to model some very small dresses.) Resident Nancy Darling ac-companied the brides with the Bridal Chorus on her recorder.

Nancy Croft, dresser, poses with models (l--r) Shelby Jones, Jessica Magdziak, Danielle Peterson, Marcy Smith, Colleen D'Arcy, Terry Tuffnell.

The oldest dress in the show was made of white satin in 1949 by resident Ruth Kutteroff for her wedding at Medford Meeting House. Ruth’s daughter, Jane Weston, Director of Marketing and Community Relations, was married in 1986, also at Medford Meeting House. Her dress, also shown, was white lace.

The show presented an informal history of bridal fashion. The dress that Carmen Smith, Receptionist wore in 1982 had a high collar and long sleeves. Her daughter, Rachel Conte, Estaugh Recreation, wore a strapless dress at her wed-ding in 2004.

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Another view of Shelby in Ruth Kutteroff's dress. Terry is modeling Jane Weston's wedding dress
Marci wears her prom gown and Colleen models her daughter's wedding dress.

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Danielle models the bridesmaids dress which Marcy wore at her wedding of her sister, Rachel Conte.

The fashion show was a highpoint in Marriage Celebration Week, a theme for June devised by Gerry Stride, Director of Community Life, and the Therapeutic Recreation staff. The week culmi-nated in the Wedding Reception on June 24, which took place in the Holly Room. Forty residents gathered at round tables. Long tables around the sides of the room were covered with photographs of residents and staff on their wedding days. All had stories behind them, but Shulamith (Shully) Weiss lingered over hers to describe how, in 1943, under pressure of the war, her mother had made Shully’s lace wedding dress in two days. Even on such short notice, 400 guests showed up for the service at the synagogue in Washington, DC, where her father was cantor.

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Marcy models a pink bridesmaid dress once worn by Linda Schultz. Shelby's peach gown was worn by the maid of honor at Linda's wedding.
Terry models two of her own bridesmaids dresses, one in brown and the other in black and white.