Bride Honors 'Amazing, Influential' Women in Her Life by Displaying Their Wedding Dresses at Her Reception (Exclusive)
- - Bride Honors 'Amazing, Influential' Women in Her Life by Displaying Their Wedding Dresses at Her Reception (Exclusive)
Erin ClackDecember 18, 2025 at 4:55 AM
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Grace and Brayden Gainey visit the dress tribute at their October 2025 wedding; tribute to Grace's late godmother, Lisa Rena Kent -
Bride Grace Gainey came up with the touching idea to honor two "amazing, influential" women in her life — her late grandmother and late godmother — by displaying their wedding dresses at her reception
Alongside each of the dresses, she included a story and photos of the bride who once wore it
Our guests loved this idea because it provided something so personal and special to us," Grace tells PEOPLE
Bride Grace Gainey's late grandmother and godmother couldn't be with her on her wedding day, so she came up with a touching and sentimental way for them to be there in spirit.
While planning her timeless, Tuscan villa-inspired wedding to high school sweetheart Brayden Gainey, the 24-year-old tells PEOPLE she decided she wanted to honor those two "amazing, influential" women in her life, along with her mother-in-law, by utilizing their wedding dresses in some special way.
After her grandmother, Ramona Ann Byrd, died from stage 4 lung cancer in 2021, her grandfather gave her Ramona's dress, knowing she would have wanted Grace to have it. At the time, Grace wasn't even engaged yet, but she treasured the family heirloom with her future wedding in mind.
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Grace Gainey's dress display
Grace's godmother and lifelong pastor, Lisa Rena Kent — with whom she was extremely close — died in October 2024 after a "courageous," five-month battle with a glioblastoma. In her final weeks, as the pair spent precious time talking and reminiscing over Lisa's old wedding photos, the pastor mentioned how much she wished she could be there for the wedding and gifted Grace her custom-made bridal gown.
Grace was also given her mother-in-law Andrea Gainey's dress. She decided to repurpose Andrea's dress for her second wedding look, and came up with the idea to honor Ramona and Lisa by displaying their dresses during the cocktail hour at her reception at Grand Island Mansion in Walnut Grove, California.
"I feel incredibly honored to have so many amazing, influential women in my life who all saved such a special piece of their lives and decided to share it with me," Grace says. "My thought was to include these ladies' legacies into my own day and add my own touch to it."
Madeline & Daniel/weddingbymd Grace Gainey's tribute to late grandmother Ramona Ann Byrd
Madeline & Daniel/weddingbymd Grace Gainey's tribute to late grandmother Ramona Ann Byrd
To bring her dress display to life — and movingly pay tribute to her two late loved ones — Grace wrote a story for each woman, recounting her life and impact. She also collected a series of photos of the women that she felt best captured how she "remembered them best."
With the help of her family and wedding planner, Courtney Lopez, the story and photos were placed inside antique-style gold frames that were displayed on easels next to the dresses. A floral arrangement was placed between the two gowns "to add the final touch."
"Once we arrived in California for our wedding week, it was a family effort as we steamed the dresses and framed the printouts," Grace recalls. "Each woman’s story was presented alongside her wedding dress, creating a meaningful tribute to her life, and it was made easy for our guests to view during cocktail hour."
Madeline & Daniel/weddingbymd Grace Gainey's tribute to late godmother Lisa Rena Kent
Madeline & Daniel/weddingbymd Grace Gainey's tribute to late godmother Lisa Rena Kent
The night before the Oct. 9 wedding, Grace and Brayden's immediate family members gathered to view the tribute. "It was an extremely emotional and sentimental moment, as we could all be together and reflect on the memory of these women before our big day," the bride says.
The couple's guests were equally touched by the dress display.
"[Their] reactions were everything we’d hoped for them to be," Grace says. "They loved this idea because it provided something so personal and special to us. They were definitely emotional reading through everything, especially those who knew these women and the impact they had on our lives."
Madeline & Daniel/weddingbymd
Grace and Brayden Gainey visit the memorial tribute
She notes that having the memorial display set up during the cocktail hour gave guests an opportunity to really take their time reading Ramona and Lisa's stories.
"The display was extremely important to me because if they were still with us today, they wouldn’t have missed our wedding for the world," Grace tells PEOPLE.
Reflecting on her love for her grandmother, Grace says Ramona was her "biggest fan." She recalls how excited Ramona was when she was born because she finally had "a granddaughter in a family full of boys."
"I was someone she could finally be girly with," Grace explains. "My grandma sparked my love for the beauty and nostalgia of all things girlhood: watching Mamma Mia!, painting my nails, baking, listening to all the music I’m sure the boys would never sing along with her to."
The duo also loved watching wedding movies together — and dreaming of the day when Grace would be a bride.
"I know she would’ve loved to be there with us on this day, but still her spirit was evident in so many moments," Grace says of her wedding. "I wanted to honor her as much as I could, knowing this wasn’t only my dream day, but hers too. Displaying her wedding dress was my way of weaving her into our day. A tribute to the woman who helped shape who I am."
As for Lisa, Grace says her godmother was "a huge example of a mother, leader and wife" for her.
"I grew up with her as a steady, motherly presence. From a young age, she taught me in Sunday school and always welcomed me into her home as if I were her own daughter," she adds.
She remembers Lisa pulling out her old wedding dress during one of their very last visits together before her death and encouraging her to try it on. "It fit perfectly," Grace says.
Madeline & Daniel/weddingbymd
Grace Gainey's dress tribute
In a joint post on Instagram, Grace and her wedding content creator, Champagne Social, shared footage of the bride and groom and their guests spending time viewing the dress tribute at the wedding. Text over the video reads, "You honor the two women forever part of your story by displaying their wedding dresses in their memory."
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While the occasion was bittersweet without Ramona and Lisa present, Grace tells PEOPLE that her wedding day was "everything we could’ve dreamed of."
"I wish we could relive it," she says. "Brayden and I got married on our eight-year anniversary, which made it all the more special and full-circle. Being high school sweethearts, we’ve anticipated this day for so long, so every detail felt surreal."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
