HARRISON, Maine — For more than 10 years, Andrea Owens worked as a nanny to a princess and prince in Saudi Arabia. She devoted the past ten years of her life to their children.
Owens decided to come back to Maine to visit her friends and family and to celebrate her 38th birthday in a unique fashion. She thinks marriage and having her own children are off the table and requested a wedding-themed birthday celebration.
Seventy of Owens' friends and family members spent an entire day of fun celebrating in the town of Harrison, all in their wedding gowns. The bash included a picture session, full-on makeup and hair, dinner, drinks, karaoke, dancing, a pub crawl, and everything else you can imagine.
"Well I got an e-vite on Facebook that said, 'Hey, do you have a wedding dress? And do you want to help me celebrate my birthday?" Owens' friend, Heather Hamilton, said.
"Why would you not? Why would you not? This is amazing!" Lori Eastman said.
"So here's the thing: Andrea has never been married. She's been on the go since she graduated college," Brandy Weber explained.
In Saudi Arabia, Owens was taking care of the royal family's four children. It was an experience she said was very positive and life-changing, but she was ready to come back home to Maine and start living the next chapter of her life here, closer to her family and friends.
"Thank you guys for coming to celebrate my birthday for sure, but this is another celebration as well," Weber told partygoers.
Owens announced to the crowd at her birthday that she was staying in Maine for good.
"We were all scrambling to find dresses at thrift stores or somebody that wanted to get rid of their wedding dress," Pam Kimbell said.
All her friends and family agree Owens is the only friend they have who would dress in a gown outside of their own wedding day. Owens is loved by all she meets because of her vibrant and charming personality and how good of a friend she is.
"I think it fits her personality," Weber said. "And what girl doesn't want to dress up on a pretty dress and go out and celebrate the town?"
"She's been gone for a long time. We only see her in short visits and she announced today that she has come home to stay for good," Coleen Francis, Owens' mother, said. "It's time for Andrea to live!"
Everyone left their problems and concerns at the door, and only positive vibes and cheer were welcome.
"I can't even! I look around and I'm, like, flabbergasted with the amount of support and love that I'm feeling tonight," Owens said.
"And that is what we are doing tonight: we are living in the moment, we are finding the joy in the journey, and we are bringing positivity to the world that we are coming in contact with through the ripple effect of us smiling and enjoying life when so much has been so heavy in the world," Michelle Benson explained.
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