I’ve been thinking about taking my wedding dress out of the preservation box to get photos of Ada, our four-year-old. Eli, our rough-and-tumble toddler, helped me along in the process by sticking his foot through the plastic window as Ada was admiring the dress on the other side.

It occurred to me that I was preserving the wrong thing. I slowly pulled the dress out of the box. Ada held her hands up to her mouth, in awe. It was as pretty as I remember…

“Put it on, Mommy! Put it on!” she squealed. So I did. And they loved it.

Eli rolled in the train, giggling. Ada ran her hands over the beaded bodice. Travis and I swapped remember when glances.

“Can I try it, Mommy?” Ada said in a soft, hopeful voice.

Of course, Baby. Of course.

It wasn’t glamourous or photo-shoot ready; there was laundry and hand-me-down furniture and an unmade bed in the background where we sleep under a pile of children. But it was magical.

This is what needed to be preserved; not the dress. And I think my son enjoyed it just as much as my daughter. So friend, take that wedding dress out of the box. Let them discover and be in awe of it just as you once were. You won’t be sorry.

Here’s a few tips for taking your own photos:

• I kept holding off because I wanted to line up a professional photographer. I think the moment was more organic with just our family here. We laughed, played and captured the kids as they were. The photos may not be perfect but they are authentic.

• If you have flowers blooming, great. I ran outside and snipped the hydrangea from our yard. You could use other props like your wedding rings, a mirror or even just a chair.

• If you think about it, incorporate something blue in the photo. I happened to grab a blue chair from our art room, which was a fortunate accident. The dress is old and borrowed. By adding something blue and maybe a new frame on her wedding day, you’d have everything for a sweet gift.

• Grab some office clips before you put the dress on her so you can fit it to her body better.

• If you can shoot the photos in your bedroom or her bedroom, I think it makes for a sweet way to capture your home as-is during this crazy season of life. You may look around at the messes now with frustration but later, you’ll likely miss the mess.

If you take photos of your littles in your wedding dress, share them with me! I’d love to see how they turn out.