James Is. woman's wedding gown in exhibit

By Kristen Hankla

The Post and Courier

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Judith Boatwright's big day was 12 years ago. Today will be her dress'.

Her crocheted wedding gown was selected for an exhibition at the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum in Washington. "Jubilee: African American Celebration" opens today, exactly 12 years after Boatwright walked down the aisle.

Museum curator Portia James is excited about having the garment and the story behind it. She already had three examples of historical wedding gowns: one worn by a slave in the 1840s, a flapper gown from the 1920s and a classic satin gown from the 1950s. The only thing missing was a contemporary one, she said.

Then a photograph came across her desk. "Here's a gown that's handmade; it's basically part of our old folk tradition of crocheting," James said. "I love the fact that her aunt made it, and that she (Boatwright) actually dreamed it up. I mean, she spent a lot of time imagining what the perfect wedding dress would look like."

Boatwright, who lives on James Island, calls the garment "a labor of true love."

She asked her aunt, Ophelia Harrison of Virginia, to crochet the dress because she wanted family to play a prominent role in the wedding. She wanted something "simple but stately" and requested a sweetheart neckline, puff sleeves that narrowed toward the wrist and a detachable train so she could wear the dress to future formal events.

Harrison spent nine months creating Boatwright's dream dress, embellishing it with gold and silver thread, beads and decorated curtain rings hanging in tiers. She also made the veil and decorated Boatwright's shoes (and crocheted a purple suit for the mother of the bride).

Boatwright recalls feeling elegant on her wedding day. "When I walked into the church, people were mesmerized," Boatwright said. "They had expected something different. ... I think with me being an only child, they may have been expecting one of these Princess Diana kind of things — a crown, a long train out the door."

Afterward, the dress was wrapped carefully in a sheet and stored in a cedar chest. Life didn't turn out quite as Boatwright had planned, she said. A string of health issues, including 15 surgeries in eight years, kept her from getting the dress out and wearing it again.

Not long ago, a new friend saw a photo of the wedding dress in Boatwright's home. Insisting the garment be seen by more people, she sent a photo to the folks at Smithsonian, who soon called Boatwright. She packed up her beloved dress in September and FedExed it to the museum, where it will be displayed for nearly a year.

She plans to attend the opening celebration today, along with her husband, their 8-year-old twins, her maid of honor and the skilled dressmaker, who is now 72.

Boatwright said, "Having this wedding outfit on display for many to see is a dream that only God could have orchestrated."

Reach Kristen Hankla at 937-5548 or khankla@postand courier.com.