Woman Has Photos Taken of Herself in Wedding Dress after Death of her Fiance

Nikki Salgot was planning a lovely wedding to Wayne State University police officer Collin Rose. They were going to be married on October 14, 2017. Then, less than a year before the big day, Collin died when he was shot while patrolling. Nikki was devastated by the death of her fiancé, but she wanted to show how proud she was of their relationship. She decided to have photographs of herself taken in her wedding dress. She carried a folded flag to commemorate Collin’s service.

Credit: Rachel Smaller Photography on today.com

The pictures were taken 10 days before the wedding date, almost a year after the death of her fiancé. Nikki retained Rachel Heller of Rachel Smaller Photography to do the photo shoot. Heller captured exactly the right moods: pride, sorrow, love and even joy. Some of the pictures are in black and white and others are in color. In one black and white picture, Nikki wears a lovely wedding dress. In one hand she clutches a folded flag, in the other the hat that her fiancé wore on the job. She has a sad, distant look on her face, but there is also an expression of strength.

Nikki declined to comment in articles about her story, saying only that she hoped the pictures spoke for themselves.

Having pictures taken of herself in her wedding dress was a way for Nikki to start healing after her the death of her fiancé. And though her response to her situation was unique, her situation was hardly unusual. Every day, young women and men lose their fiances or spouses to death. And, according to ExpertBeacon, it is an experience that turns one’s life upside down. The survivors feel cheated out of the years of life they expected to have with their spouse or fiancé. Finding support can be difficult, because a person who loses his or her spouse after 40 or 50 years of marriage has a very different experience than a person who loses his or her husband after a year or two, or before the marriage can even take place.

Credit: Rachel Smaller Photography on today.com

The ExpertBeacon article advises loved ones going through such an experience to honor the memory of their spouse or fiancé. This can involve rituals around the holidays or the date of the spouse or fiance’s death. It can also involve more unusual measures, like Nikki taking pictures in her wedding dress.

Other pieces of advice include talking about the loved one’s death, finding a strong support system, practicing self-care and taking time to grieve.

Losing someone you love is a terrible experience. Losing a young spouse or a fiancé can be even worse. Not only do you lose the person you loved so much, you also lose the entire future you planned with them.

It’s important to commemorate the relationship you shared. Perhaps you aren’t comfortable having photographs taken in your wedding attire as Nikki did. But there is surely something else you can do to help, such as writing a letter to your spouse or fiancé or displaying your loved one’s photograph in your home.