A Bride Wore a Decoy Costume for First Look to Shock Husband at Alter

ByLouise McGinnis

Oct 8, 2022
  • A bride in Washington stunned her husband by carrying a decoy marriage ceremony costume for his or her first look.
  • However for the ceremony, Amanda Kitchingman Roban-Prepare dinner became a customized black marriage ceremony costume.
  • She instructed Insider her husband was “underwhelmed” by the decoy, however teared up seeing the actual one.

A bride in Washington stunned her husband in a black marriage ceremony costume after she wore a decoy for his or her first look that left him “underwhelmed” – pulling off the final word marriage ceremony day prank.

Amanda Kitchingman Roban-Prepare dinner, 28, and her husband Alex tied the knot in September after they started relationship in 2016, she instructed Insider. The couple met whereas working as EMT fundamentals on ambulance evening shifts in Reno, Nevada. They presently dwell in Washington the place Amanda works as a cardiac nurse and Alex is a firefighter.

After their engagement in 2020, Amanda mentioned she started trying into bringing her imaginative and prescient for the proper marriage ceremony costume to life. Impressed by Morticia Addams from “The Addams Household,” she instructed Insider she needed to design a black, caped costume.

The couple during their first-look photoshoot.

The couple throughout their first-look photoshoot.


Almida Meyer Pictures



However a month earlier than the marriage, which passed off an hour north of Seattle by a nationwide park, they determined to do their vows in non-public. 

“I had spent the higher a part of a yr engaged on that costume, designing that costume, picturing what it will seem like with me coming down the aisle and him taking a look at me and his response,” she mentioned. However by doing their vows privately, she mentioned she was frightened she’d miss out on the expertise of seeing Alex’s dwell response to her costume as she walked down the aisle.

That is when she obtained the concept to shock Alex by carrying not one, however two marriage ceremony clothes on their special occasion.

The couple sharing a kiss on their wedding day.

The couple sharing a kiss on their marriage ceremony day.

Almida Meyer Pictures



Amanda instructed Insider she dug out a silver robe she purchased for $300 on Pinterest 5 years in the past to put on for his or her first look and vows, tricking Alex into believing it was the actual marriage ceremony costume.

One factor about their relationship she shared she loves is how they’ve by no means stopped having enjoyable collectively.

“We sort of each vowed to by no means take ourselves too critically and by no means develop up,” Amanda mentioned. “Particularly early on in our relationship we performed lots of pranks on one another.”

When Alex noticed her within the decoy costume, Amanda mentioned she might see a touch of disappointment in his eyes as he had beforehand been so assured she’d put on black. “I do not assume anyone else would have actually caught it, however I might simply see the slightest ‘What?’ in his face,” Amanda mentioned. 

Amanda's dress featured a removable skirt.

Amanda’s costume featured a detachable skirt.

Almida Meyer Pictures



However fortunately, she had a mode “switcheroo” in retailer. After their vows, with the assistance of two mates, she swapped into her actual robe – a Lace & Liberty black marriage ceremony costume impressed by Morticia Addams, which price roughly $5,000 to customized design.

“I needed one thing very distinctive and really dramatic,” Amanda mentioned of the robe, which featured a cape veil, a lace overlay with star particulars, and a detachable skirt that she mentioned made her really feel like a princess.

Strolling all the way down to the altar together with her father by her facet, Amanda instructed Insider that seeing Alex’s response made the prank price it. “I noticed Alex have the belief wash over him that this was a very completely different costume,” she mentioned.

Amanda said Alex "absolutely lost it" when he saw her walk out in her real wedding dress.

Amanda mentioned Alex “completely misplaced it” when he noticed her stroll out in her actual marriage ceremony costume.


Almida Meyer Pictures



Not one to often cry, Alex could not assist however shed a tear seeing Amanda in her actual robe as a result of it was a lot extra her type, she mentioned.

“He simply completely misplaced it, he needed to flip away and ask for a tissue as a result of he mentioned he was about two seconds away from ugly crying up on the altar,” she mentioned. And it wasn’t simply Alex that obtained emotional seeing her within the black robe. Their marriage ceremony was intimate, she mentioned, with simply 50 company in attendance.

“I believe I made not less than half of the group cry,” Amanda mentioned. “Our mates and prolonged household had been blown away.”

And having spent a lot time designing her excellent marriage ceremony costume, Amanda mentioned she has zero plans to maintain it in storage. Amanda instructed Insider that her mother-in-law made a remark about how she will be able to now “put the costume away and by no means take a look at it once more,” on the marriage ceremony, to which Amanda mentioned completely not.

Amanda said she definitely plans to wear her wedding dress again.

Amanda mentioned she positively plans to put on her marriage ceremony costume once more.

Almida Meyer Pictures



“I’ve to seek out one thing to put on this to, even when it is simply placing it on and strolling within the park and scaring little kids,” she mentioned.

Jokes apart, Amanda instructed Insider that she could escape the costume for an upcoming Vampire-themed Ball in Seattle. 

“There’s a possibility to put on it once more,” she mentioned.