In the Magic Room, I met Erika Hansen, a fresh-faced young bride who is a throwback to another time. As a child, she had vowed to save her first kiss for the man she’d marry. She kept this promise, as did her three sisters. They got the idea from a book in the Sierra Jensen Christian young adult series by writer Robin Gunn.

About 7% of the brides searching for gowns at Becker’s are pregnant, looking for a dress with room to expand. Another 25% already have children. In fact, one woman, shopping for her fourth wedding dress, told me, “I’m always the bride, never the bridesmaid.”

And so, given the state of the unions today, I was taken with the romantic Hansen sisters, each of whom had embraced the beauty in an uncommon patience. Their choice is not for everyone, but all of them found loving men who were willing to wait for something special.    

Pictured: Erika and husband Reuben on their wedding day