‘Confident, glowing and in love’: bride turns heads with golden arm
31-year-old model Rebekah Marine definitely embraced the bling on her wedding day.
Marie was born without her right forearm, but that hasn't stopped her from following her dreams and modelling for luxury brands such as Nordstrom or Tommy Hilfiger.
Usually, Marine wears a black prosthetic arm, but for the big day she decided to go all out- ordering a customized golden arm.
"Drawing attention to it is representation of who I am now — confident, glowing and in love," Marine said, speaking to Inside Edition.
From New Jersey, the blushing bride was born with symbrachydactyly, an unexplained limb difference.
Growing up, Marine said that her differences never held her back. It wasn't until she went to college that her missing forearm drew questions.
"That’s when I dealt with a lot of staring and questions and harsh words," she recalled. "It was kind of like a wake-up call to me — 'Wow, I really am different.'"
However, her confidence grew and she learned to celebrate her difference through modelling.
So when it came time to wake down the aisle, she saw it as an opportunity to celebrate her prosthetic arm- by giving it a bling upgrade.
"It represents the growth I’ve had over the past decade," Marine explained. "To show there is another side of life, and you can be happy with the cards you were given."
Marine worked with prosthetic clinics for more than a year to develop a "wedding arm" that was both practical and fabulous. To help fund the arm she used sponsors and non-profit organisations. She hopes that her golden arm will help raise awareness about the importance of prosthetics.
She even wore the arm on her honeymoon to Mexico, where it glittered in the sun.
Absolutely stunning!
