A Wedding Dress to Honor My Parents

Posted by Nancy Baber on July 15th 2011 | 0 Comments

Tags: Musem of Art, Wedded Perfection

I thought to pay tribute to my parents, Gertrude and Raymond Coté, by sponsoring a gown in the Wedded Perfection exhibition.

Mr and Mrs Cote on their wedding day, March 4, 1943

It was also an opportunity to support the Institute, which I believe is one of the most exceptional treasures the Utica area has to offer. My folks married while my Dad was home on furlough during WWII – March 4, 1943 in Glendale, NY. They weren’t able to afford much, and a wedding gown wasn’t easy to come by even if they had had the money to buy one. Mom wore a lovely two-piece aqua crepe suit with fragrant gardenias on the lapel, and their small reception was at the home of my grandparents.

I brought the Wedded Perfection catalogue home for my Mom to look at, and asked her to pick her favorite gown. She told me she liked the blue lace wedding dress w/headpiece from 1935 the best. She knew nothing about the sponsorship, and cried when she saw their wedding photo on the wall, as well as their names on the informative label below the gown. I couldn’t have been more pleased!

 Nancy Coté Baber