Restoring Love: A Bride’s Journey with Her Mother’s Vintage Wedding Veil

Apr 14

Vintage wedding veils and dresses are a piece of family history. For some brides, restoring and repurposing these cherished heirlooms is a connection to a beloved past. For Courtney, it was a past she never knew.

Cover photo by Sarah Jane Photography

“My mother’s headpiece, veil, and dress have always been in my possession. Fortunately, I have my grandparents to thank for that. My grandmother and I would look at them together when I was a child when we would go through my parents’ belongings.”

— Courtney, Bride-to-be

When Courtney’s mother was two months pregnant with her, she found out that she had a malignant brain tumor. She passed away when Courtney was only six months old.

“I only know her through her belongings, stories my grandparents would share with me, and VHS tapes. I have my parent’s wedding video, a video my parents made a month before I was born to “introduce themselves to me,” and then a video of the three of us together in my first months of life. That’s about two hours of my mother on tape, and I hold these very dear to me.”

Altering Her Mom’s Wedding Veil

Courtney came to Headpiece.com to find a way to use her mom’s headpiece and veil. It was in dire need of restoration so she could wear it down the aisle.

“I have worked with many brides looking to restore or restyle their mom’s headpiece or veil. There was something different about Courtney. Her demeanor was quiet. She only wished for the basic necessities to make her mom’s headpiece and veil wearable.”

— Marie Hunt, Owner/Designer

Courtney wanted to alter her mom’s headpiece to fit her head better. She didn't mind the varied coloration of the embroidered organza flowers, which ranged from off-white to caramel brown. Her only desire was to wear it on her wedding day.

“I knew I needed help with my mother’s headpiece and veil because they did not fit me properly as they were, and the height was a bit too much. It was a mid-1980s piece, and given her stature and the style of the time, it looked nice on my mother. On me, in 2024, it felt a bit boisterous.”

“I offered her my honest evaluation of her mom’s headpiece. The wires on the underside of the flowers were dark brown, and the border stitching looked like a cup of coffee had been dropped on it. The paint on the resin flowers had flaked away over the years. Her mom’s headpiece needed a full restoration in addition to restyling. The aged imperfections meant nothing to Courtney. Her only desire was to wear it fitted to her head.”

Giving Back

Photos by Antonietta Henry Photography

I sensed other reasons were holding Courtney back from doing a complete restoration and felt if she could do it, she would. Her story was gripping. I reached out to a kind man who stopped my store weeks earlier, hoping to find a home for his deceased wife’s wedding gown. Those following my blog may remember the heartfelt story of Lee Cahill: Passing On His True Love’s Wedding Dress.

“Marie’s decision regarding the vintage wedding gown of my deceased wife was such a wonderful gift. I was determined to somehow give something back to her. While at the shop, I became aware of a bride’s emotions surrounding a request to reconstruct a vintage headpiece. This task seemed difficult, if not impossible, but not to Marie.”

— Lee Cahill

“Subsequently, I offered to assist Marie in helping young brides-to-be with “special” situations regarding desired headpieces. Courtney’s story was a special situation.”

Lee and I unboxed his wife’s wedding gown after 60 years. The last time he saw this dress was when he married his beloved wife, Patricia.

Bridal Headpiece Restoration

From experience, I knew that Courtney’s headpiece was going to be a challenge. All areas of this old headpiece needed restoring. The glue, staining, peeling paint, rusted wires, and lacquer missing from the wax-based leaves needed work to even begin to restyle it into a piece that would look beautiful on her wedding day.

Removing the stained wire from each individual embroidered organza flower was the first step in restoring them to bridal beauty. Each flower then went through several baths to lighten the oxidized color.

The before and after photos of Courntey’s headpiece are remarkable! We chose to restyle her mom’s headpiece into more of a headband style while preserving the integrity of its original style. The new design was void of 1980s bulk and heaviness. I created a lightweight, flexible design that she could feel comfortable wearing for her entire wedding day.

Courtney's Mom’s 1986 vintage headpiece.

Restored and restyled 1986 bridal headpiece.

Meeting Lee

“On my way to the shop to pick up my headpiece and meet Lee, I was filled with excitement and joy. I thought of my parents and grandparents and wondered if they were experiencing this with me from wherever they are, or if they had been alive to go through this with me together, would they have been filled with similar emotions?”

— Courtney

“I felt it was important to meet Lee in person so I could show him my gratitude, see him, talk with him, and spend some time with him. I really enjoyed learning about him, his wife, and his life.”

“I was very excited for our introduction and eager to show him pictures of my parents and grandparents, as I wanted him to meet them in some way. ”

Wedding Day

Wedding Photography by Megan Mahfoud

VENUE / Bello Giorno Estate WEDDING VEIL RESTORATION / Headpiece.com BEAUTY / Nicole Makeup and Hair FLOWERS / Lings Moment

“I was shocked at how beautifully restored the individual pieces were and how they came together in this totally new but still familiar way. I was so proud and delighted this was my mother’s and now mine to wear on my wedding day. I could not have been happier.”

“I could not believe it and never would have expected someone to gift this to me. It really touches my heart that someone I have never met cared so much about my mother’s legacy and making my day beautiful!”