Using Mom's Wedding Dress
For some brides, using their mom’s wedding dress in some way for their wedding means more to them than the actual dress they choose to wear down the aisle.
This month’s blog features two different brides who came to me with the same wish. Each wanted to bring their beloved mom, who passed away, into their life on their wedding day by using their wedding gown.
Using Mom’s Wedding Dress
Kelly Mack
Lynda and Brad married on April 7th, 1984.
Kelly and her dad brought her mom’s wedding dress to the shop to see what ideas I could come up with to incorporate her gown into something special for her wedding day. I have had quite a few dresses come into the shop, where I created a beautiful bridal veil to cherish and pass down through the generations.
I removed only one layer of lace to keep the dress intact and preserve its essence. I tell my brides that the deconstruction and preparation of vintage elements take as much time as creating the new design from scratch. Each tiny stitch had to be carefully removed not to damage the lace. The next step was thoroughly cleaning, drying, and pressing the vintage lace to prep it for the design stage.
Kelly brought her Maggie Sottero gown in for me to see. I suggested we make a custom pattern to follow the shape of her hem. Creating a subtle V at the center back would allow the veil to follow the perimeter of her gown beautifully down the aisle.
Using the lace from her mom’s vintage wedding dress, I created a unique bridal veil that made Kelly happy and feel her mom's presence.
Kelly had no idea, but her dad came to see me on a separate occasion to consult about making a custom handkerchief as a gift from him. He wanted to embroider something on it to provide a keepsake with shared memories. I suggested we use the small piece of lace on the bodice. I asked Brad if he could recall anything special that only Kelly and her mom shared, and he sent me a photo of a tattoo they both got on their foot.
Wedding Photography by Marquee Studio
GOWN / Maggie Sottero VENUE / Perona Farms WEDDING VEIL & HANDKERCHIEF / Headpiece.com BEAUTY / D’amelio Cosmetics FLOWERS / The Hidden Daisy EMBROIDERY / Initial Encounter
Using Mom’s Wedding Gown
Amy Rose Montaruli
Denise and Tony married on August 4th, 1979
I loved this wedding gown, and as my designer brain functions, I thought of how it could be restyled into a beautiful current gown. However, I was tasked with designing a veil for Amy Rose using her mom’s original cathedral bridal veil and elements of her wedding dress.
While I loved the classic beauty of her mom’s 1979 wedding gown, I had very little lace to work with to design a custom veil for her. I had to make the best of every inch of lace. After removing the lace, it was cleaned and cut apart in preparation for repurposing. It took great skill to fashion the minimal lace frills into a beautiful wedding veil for Amy Rose.
Wedding Photography by Hitched Productions
GOWN / Jude Jowlison VENUE / Pomme Radnor WEDDING VEIL / Headpiece.com HAIR / Top Knots by Aimee MUA / Glam with Amber Helverson FLORIST / Layers of Lovely Design
This was a difficult blog for me in many ways. I have designed for many brides who have lost someone dear to them before their wedding. I lost my mom unexpectedly in July of 2021. We were supposed to be leaving to spend time in Martha’s Vineyard together just days before she passed away. I always say it doesn’t matter her age or time you are in your life. Losing your mom is a profound loss. What I have learned through my brides is the added heartache of not having them there on their wedding day. I will always design with all my being and use all the gifts God gave me for my special brides. <3 Marie
See you next month on the Fourteenth