This is priceless!
Jessica Leigh Webb is a professional therapist with a knack for fashion. She regularly posts outfits of the day and sewing tips and info for those interested in getting into creating their own designs. Recently, Webb’s 17-year-old daughter Ivy made a special request, asking her mom to make the dress she desired to wear for her senior prom. A daunting task, Webb admits she had a lot of anxiety in the beginning, and even considered backing out. Eventually, she gave in and decided to document her journey of making her daughter’s dress leading up to the big day.
“I’ve decided to take on a major project…making my daughter’s senior prom dress. I AM SHOOKETH!!! I have so much [performance] anxiety it is absolutely ridiculous!! So I’m saying this out loud with hope that being honest about it will relieve some stress,” wrote Webb.
“I will be the first to admit that I have hindered my growth because of anxiety and irrational fears. But this request is a little different. My daughter is so sweet. She is very encouraging and always cheers me on in my sewing journey. She’s always requesting that I make her pieces and she is so confident that anything I produce…she will love. So while I’m shaking in my boots about his undertaking, I know that if I’m going to start anywhere, this should be the place,” she added.
With just a few weeks to get the job done, Webb has continued to share the journey, documenting the original sketches, construction of the dress, injuries like the time she sewed through her finger, and her daughter’s very first fitting. While there were moments when she thought it wouldn’t work, trying a number of techniques for the very first time and even considering going dress shopping at the last moment, as the dates got closer, Webb announced that she had finally completed the design, sharing the emotional moment with her followers.
“I refuse to cry on [Beyonce’s] internet today. I don’t even know what to say, other than all praises be to the king of kings and the Lord our God, HE IS WONDERFUL!!”
When the big day came, both Webb and Ivy agreed that the final look would be a surprise for Webb. She gathered her followers for a special Instagram live prom reveal at 5:30/6pm EST so that everyone could catch the final look together, while Mom asked those who tuned in to please not laugh at her ugly cry. Webb gave a recap of the process and answered comments while waiting for her daughter to arrive for the final look. The moment was special with thousands tuned in for the big reveal. As Ivy finally prepared for her mom and family to see the final look, Webb turned around so Ivy could surprise her. When she finally entered the video’s frame, she looked absolutely stunning.
Donned in a blue colored Bridgerton-esque gown with ornate detail, a corset bust and off the shoulder sleeves, the moment was more than anyone could have imagined and the culmination of all of Webb’s hard work. Webb screamed as she laid eyes on her daughter in her dress for the first time, getting visibly emotional as she affirmed her over and over.
“OMG you look so good,” was all Webb could manage to get out.
Ivy embraced her mother, beaming from ear to ear as Webb tried not to cry and mess up her daughter’s makeup or dress. Her family and friends were all present for the momentous occasion, and it wasn’t the first time their village has shown up in this way. In 2019, Ivy’s godsister Courtney, who did her makeup for the big day, went viral after creating her sister’s prom dress when she was just 14-years-old. As the family came together for another full circle moment, Ivy gave full 360 views of the dress for those tuned into IG live, looking like an absolute dream. A real life fairy princess headed to her ball.
As Webb prepared to send her baby girl off to prom, Webb spoke with Because Of Them We Can about how much it meant to be able to pull this off for her daughter.
“We are overjoyed that we got to share this moment together. It’s something that neither of us will ever forget. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to do something so important to a young woman. Prom is a major right of passage and the dress is the most important part of that story. I’m so thankful to Ivy that she not only trusted, but also encouraged me to step out on faith and create the gown of her dreams,” Webb told BOTWC.
After the festivities are completed and Ivy walks across the stage, she’ll be headed to the College of Southern Maryland in the fall to pursue her degree in Music Education. While the future is bright for young Ivy and there are many more milestones on the horizon, we are sure that this is one she will never forget.
Great job Mom!
Cover photo: Mom Who Handmade Daughter’s Prom Dress Brought to Tears During Big Reveal/Photos by @The_Fashionable_Therapist/Instagram