One wedding dress, seven brides, a legacy of love

A family heirloom spans three generations of women.

5 Seconds

00:00

Rita Zgorski, at the head of the table, along with five daughters and one granddaughter, celebrates a “Passing Down of the Dress” luncheon at Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria. Rita wore the wedding dress, pictured in back, in 1956; her five daughters and her granddaughter followed suit. Clockwise from bottom left: Robyn Zgorski, Rhonda “Kitten” O’Brien, Renee “Lambie” Renner, Ali Manson, Roxanne “Dovey” Jett and Rachelle “Bunny” Lamb.

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Rita Zgorski with granddaughter Ali. When Rita was planning her wedding, she saw a gown in a magazine, but none of the stores in town carried it. The owner of a Baltimore bridal shop told her to bring in the photo and made a replica.

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

“I felt like a princess,” recalls Rita, now 77. “I loved it.”

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

A 1956 photo of Rita in her dress. She and husband Bob eventually had seven children.

/ BRUNO STUDIOS

When Renee “Lambie” Renner wore her mother's wedding dress in 1983, she chose not to wear the hoop, making the dress less full.

/ THE MIND'S EYE

“I felt very special,” Rachelle ”Bunny” Lamb says of wearing the dress in 1991. “And I felt this connection to my parents.” She added a veil she now thinks looks like “wings” coming out of the back of her head.

/ ALICE HORST PHOTOGRAPHY

Rhonda “Kitten” O’Brien wore the dress in 1994. There was a red wine stain from Bunny’s wedding, so some of the lace had to be redone before Kitten’s.

/ THORNTON STUDIOS

At 5-foot-1, Roxanne “Dove” Jett, who wore the dress in 1996, is the shortest of the sisters and needed to have the hem and sleeves taken up dramatically.

/ FRANSON LEFEVRE PHOTOGRAPHY

A guest stepped on the dress while Robyn Zgorski was wearing it in 1997, tearing the lace on the skirt. After Robyn’s wedding, the dress was shoved under Rita’s bed without even being cleaned. No one imagined it might be used again.

/ BUXTON PHOTOGRAPHY

Ali hugs grandmother Rita. When mother Lambie asked what kind of dress Ali wanted to buy, Ali was surprised to hear herself saying, “Well, I guess I want to wear your dress.”

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Bridesmaid Heather Lamb, left, and Lambie help Ali into the dress on Ali’s wedding day in April.

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Ali and Lambie at St. Rita Catholic Church in Alexandria. When the women pulled the wedding dress from under Rita’s bed, it was yellowed and torn. It was sent to an expert seamstress, who flattened the sleeves that a previous bride had puffed and patched the lace.

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Ali with, from left, Colleen Stroehrer, Lambie and Rita Zgorski before Ali’s wedding.

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Ali walks arm in arm with husband G.P. Manson at St. Rita Catholic Church in Alexandria on April 27.

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

From left: flower girl Sarah Grace Clifton, in pink, father of the bride Chris Renner, Ali and G.P., Lambie Renner, and Rita and Bob Zgorski.

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Ali with maid of honor Colleen Stroehrer before the wedding reception at River Farm in Alexandria.

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Ali and G.P. take their first dance as newlyweds during their wedding reception.

Joseph Victor Stefanchik / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

epa03708924 Franziska (C) wears a helmet and carries a shield during the recreation of The Battle of the Teutoburg Museum in Bramsche, Germany, 20 May 2013. The everyday life of Romans and the Germanic people is depicted at Museum Park Kalkriese during the Romans and Germanic people days. EPA/Friso Gentsch

Photos of the day

Battle of Teutoburg Forest reenactment, Mars Curiosity rover drilling, massive tornado strikes Moore, Oklahoma and more.

A Burrowing owl tries to perch on a protective rope in a public park in Cooper City, Fla. Monday, May 20, 2013 as rain falls. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Animal views

Fun and fascinating creatures around the world.

ANNAPOLIS, MD - MAY 20: The Herndon Monument Climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the United States Naval Academy. The plebes climb to the top of the lard-covered 21 foot high monument and remove the 'dixie cup' hat at the top replacing it with an upperclassman's hat. After completing this, the freshmen are called 'fourth class midshipmen.' This class completed the task in 1 hour 32 minutes and 43 seconds. The hat was placed by Patrick Lien from Orlando. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

The Herndon Climb

The Herndon Monument climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the U.S. Naval Academy.

This combination of Associated Press photos shows left, a neighborhood in Moore, Okla., in ruins on Tuesday, May 4, 1999, after a tornado flattened many houses and buildings in central Oklahoma, and right, flattened houses in Moore on Monday, May 20, 2013. Monday's powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999. (AP Photo)

Okla. tornado loosely followed path of 1999 twister

Monday’s powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the area in May 1999.

Lea Bessinger salvages a picture of Jesus as she and her son Josh Bessinger sort through the rubble of the elder Bessinger's tornado-ravaged home Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening an entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Tornado near Oklahoma City causes more damage

Rescue workers are searching for survivors after a twister carved a long path of destruction in a suburb of Oklahoma City. It was part of the...

FILE - In this undated publicity file photo, members of the Doors, from left, John Densmore, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison, pose for a portrait. Manzarek, the keyboardist who was a founding member of The Doors, has died at 74. Publicist Heidi Robinson-Fitzgerald says in a news release that Manzarek died Monday, May 20, 2013, at the RoMed Clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, surrounded by his family. (AP Photo, File)

Ray Manzarek, founding member of the Doors, dies at 74

Manzarek co-founded the Doors after meeting then-poet Jim Morrison in California. The band went on to become one of the most successful rock-and-roll...

US actress Rosario Dawson smiles on May 20, 2013 as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Wara No Tate' (Shield of Straw) presented in Competition at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes, one of the world's top film festivals, opened on May 15 and will climax on May 26 with awards selected by a jury headed this year by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLIALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images

Eye on entertainment

Rosario Dawson, Alec Baldwin, Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Bow Wow, Amy Poehler and more.

A man walks on sulphur and mineral salt formations near Dallol in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia April 22, 2013. The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest and harshest environments on earth, with an average annual temperature of 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 Celsius). For centuries, merchants have travelled there with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted and shaped into slabs, then loaded onto the animals before being transported back across the desert so that it can be sold around the country. Picture taken April 22, 2013. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola (ETHIOPIA - Tags: BUSINESS SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 2 OF 30 FOR PACKAGE 'ETHIOPIA'S ANCIENT SALT TRAIL'
SEARCH 'DANAKIL DEPRESSION' FOR ALL

Ethiopia’s salt trail

For centuries, merchants have traveled to Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted...

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.