He Dumped Her A Week Before Their Wedding. And What She Tells Him Shocked Me!

Facing Life Head On

Sometimes life throws you curveballs. Life threw 23-year-old Shelby Swink a pretty nasty curveball when her fiance dumped her a week before the wedding. That’s right...I said a week before her wedding. Personally, I would have probably handled this particular curveball by crying buckets while simultaneously shoveling a pint of ice cream into my mouth. But what Shelby did was WAY better, and even benefited charity!

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

The couple met at college, and 3 years later were engaged. Shelby says,

“I poured my heart and soul into the wedding plans, because I wanted the day that would celebrate our love and commitment for each other to be absolutely amazing.”

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

So Shelby was a bit blindsided when her fiance came to her the week of the wedding and told her he didn’t love her.

“Bam. My dreams of marrying and having kids with what I thought was the man I would spend the rest of my life with vanished,” she said. “I was in complete shock and had no idea what to think or do. I was numb. The next few days were a blur of calling guests and canceling vendors.”

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

Everyone in her family was in shock, and didn’t know quite what to do. But Shelby had made a decision that she was not going to wallow in self pity. She knew she had to move on.

And that’s when her wedding photographer, Elizabeth Hoard Photography, suggested Shelby have a “trash the dress” photo shoot. Shelby mulled it over, saying,

“At first it sounded crazy, but after really thinking about it, I knew that it was the perfect thing for me. After all, it was just a dress, a material item.”

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

But Shelby knew if she was going to do this, she was going to do it surrounded by the people who did love her.

“Nov. 1 was supposed to be a fun and happy day surrounded by friends and family who loved me. I decided that I would not let my ex-fiancé’s mistake of letting me go take that away from me.”

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

And so, that’s just what this shoot became. Joined by her parents…

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

and her bridesmaids…

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

Shelby spent the day laughing, healing and finding closure.

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

“I can’t even describe how liberating and cathartic the experience was for me,” said the bride-no-longer-to-be. “The moment the first bit of paint hit my dress I was free.”

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

And the day wasn’t just about Shelby. Following the shoot, the dress was put on display at a local bridal shop, with a portion of the proceeds from dress sales during its exhibit going to a local charity.

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

And so, the would-be-wedding date was still a celebration -- a celebration of the next chapter in Shelby’s life, which she was embracing with eagerness and enthusiasm.

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

And though being dumped right before her wedding was a tough pill to swallow, Shelby was able to gain a bit of perspective. She realized this difficult journey had actually helped her grow.

“Instead of lying down and letting life trample over me, I decided to get up and face it head-on,”

Credit: Elizabeth Hoard Photography

And she also recognized that God has a purpose and reward for every tribulation that is put in our path. The message she had for her ex-fiance was one of forgiveness: