Woman celebrates 60th wedding anniversary by wearing her dress again

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Wednesday, May 10, 2017
60 years later, great-grandmother fits in wedding dress
Janith Goedde celebrated her 60th anniversary by proving she could still fit in her wedding dress.

Janith Goedde celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary with a big party thrown by her family ... and by proving she can still fit in her wedding dress.

Joe and Janith were married on May 11, 1957 in Haubstadt, Indiana.

"I didn't get to see her until she walked down the aisle and I kept saying to myself, 'You're too young to get married. I was 24,'" Joe told ABC News with a laugh.

Janith and Joe Goedde

Janith wore a beautiful gown that at the time cost $69.95. It was described in detail in their wedding announcement.

"For her wedding, the bride chose a floor-length gown of imported Chantilly lace and nylon tulle over satin, fastened down the back with tiny covered buttons," it read. "The fitted lace bodice was designed with Sabrina neckline and embroidered in pearlized sequins. The long sleeves tapered over the wrists."

Janith told ABC News she didn't do much to preserve the dress except keep it in a plastic bag, but it is still white all these years later.

Janith and Joe Goedde

The couple now has great-grandchildren. Janith, now 80, said the secret to a long and happy marriage is "communication and prayer."

To celebrate the milestone, the family threw them a large party and got them a cake featuring a photo from their wedding day. It was after the long day of celebrations that Janith wound up putting on the old dress, she explained.

"When we came home that evening, one of the girls said, 'I bet she can still get in her wedding gown. Where's it at?' I told them where it was in the attic and they went up there and got it. So I had to put it on."

It was a little tight, Janith said, but still fit. One of her grandchildren, Alison, posted the photo to Twitter.

Janith and Joe Goedde

As for Joe, he said of seeing her in the dress again, "She still looks beautiful."