The best part of a pageant is arguably the crowning moment—that suspenseful instant when the results are revealed to you and you get to see a young woman wear her crown. I remember when Kirsten Haglund was crowned, I was squeezing Kasie’s hand so tight I almost broke her fingers! And when Kirsten was announced Miss America, we were out of our seats in a heartbeat!

Here is one crowning moment that means a lot to me. This is the first state pageant I ever judged and I had such a lovely, memorable experience in Missouri that I plan to go back one day as “non-judge” and enjoy the pageant from the audience: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlOFX_Sy4xI.

And of course, there are some GREAT crowning photos from over the years! Here are a couple I found on the Internet:

This one, of course, is the famous crowning of Ericka Dunlap as Miss America 2004. She is one of my favorite Miss Americas and this is my all time favorite coronation. Her yellow dress, her excitement – unforgettable.

And of course, Jennifer Berry crowning Lauren Nelson. That was a poignant moment for so many reasons. Getting to crown, and be crowned, by your state sister is something only a handful of women have experienced. So great!

And these photos? Well, I’m not sure who they are – but they sure are funny!

What are your favorite crowning moments?