Texas Department of Transportation Helps Newlyweds Find Missing Gown

Kristine Solomon
Lost and found! A pair of newlyweds recruited the Texas DOT to help them find their lost wedding dress. (Photo: Getty)
Lost and found! A pair of newlyweds recruited the Texas DOT to help them find a lost wedding dress. (Photo: Getty Images)

Teamwork makes the dream work, and that was certainly the case for new bride Merissa McNeal. She and her husband, Ben, lost her wedding dress when it “flew out of their truck bed somewhere on I-40 between Oklahoma City and Groom, Texas,” according to the Texas Department of Transportation, which published a post to its Facebook page on Thursday to report the frock missing.

“In the spirit of the season, if you see this dress let us know so we can get it back to the happy couple!,” the Texas DOT included in its original post to its (more than) 185,000 Facebook fans. Happily, the dress was found within hours by a woman in nearby Parma. “Update: The dress has been found and in good condition in Parma, TX. Thank you to everyone for their help!,” the DOT included at the end of its post later in the day.


The post was shared more than 900 times, and eager citizens chimed in with votes of confidence (“Aww man, i bet she feels sick to her stomach I hope she finds it!”) and offers to help (“I’m running thru there tonight!! Will keep my eyes open!!). Others wondered what the dress was doing in the back of the truck, but we’re going to assume the bride and groom tied the dress down.

The post shows a photo of the dress, which appears to be white satin with a lace embellishment at the waist, in its original box. The bride’s Facebook page shows her posing in the dress with her groom on the beach, while wearing flowers in her hair. The newlyweds were on the way to San Diego when the dress was lost.

Photo: Courtesy of Facebook.com/marissa.goodman
Photo: Courtesy of Facebook.com/marissa.goodman

The bride’s mother-in-law even got in on the act of searching for the missing dress, posting to her Facebook, “Our son Ben and his new wife Merissa are on I40 headed to San Diego. Between OKC and Groom Tx her boxed and preserved wedding gown became dislodged and flew out of the bed of the truck. If you hear anything about a flying wedding gown, please think of me and let me know?!” She then enthusiastically updated her Facebook friends when the dress was finally found.

Who doesn’t love a happy ending?

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