I BOUGHT THE SECOND DRESS TO COPE WITH MY CANCER
CLAIRE SCANLON, 35, a full-time mum, lives with husband Craig, 36, a regional sales manager, and their six children, aged 10 to 17, in Dunstable, Beds. they married in May at the Horwood estate in Milton Keynes.
BUYING a second dress was a spur of the moment thing when i went wedding dress shopping with my cousin, who was getting married herself.
i’d already bought one gown — a gorgeous Princess-style dress, which nipped in at the waist, for £1,200 (left) — but i was a bit worried about it. the material was heavy and i was concerned that if i felt ill during the wedding, i’d want something cooler to wear.
i have incurable bone cancer, after having primary breast cancer two years ago, but am fighting it as best i can. when you’ve got children, you have to get on with it.
i tried some flowing, lighter dresses on and immediately felt better. i didn’t feel guilty about paying £600 for a second dress (right)— you only get wed once.
Craig was very emotional when he saw me walking down the aisle. i’d kept both dresses a secret and it was funny because, at the meal, i said to Craig i was feeling too hot and he said: ‘it’s a shame you didn’t get a second dress which was a bit cooler.’
i didn’t tell him that’s exactly what i’d done. He was so surprised when i emerged for the dancing in my other dress.
i’ve kept both dresses and will store them in case our daughters want to wear them — or a part of them — for their own weddings.