Wearing Mom’s 80s Headpiece And Wedding Veil With A Wow
I have one thing to say! This was my favorite bridal headpiece and wedding veil restoration and restyle in my over 30 years as a bridal accessory designer.
“Honestly, I am in love with every vintage headpiece and veil I have ever touched. But this one, I still dream about.”
Alita Rovito married in 1987 in one of the most beautiful headpieces and veils I have ever seen. It was very reminiscent of 80s bridal glam, yet so unique. Abundant with AB Swarovski crystals, sequin flowers, and wax pearlized stamens, it was not a common combination for headpieces created in the 80s. What captured my heart was how her stunning crown was hand-sewn to an open circlet of tulle, also adorned with hundreds of sparkly embellishments.
“When my sister and I went dress shopping in 1987, I knew I did not want a train on my dress. We looked at hundreds (truly, my sister was playing dress up with me!) of dresses and veils. When this veil was brought out, the veil itself blew me away, and I knew it was for me. I have always loved prismatic crystals, and this spoke to me.”
Alita got a bit nervous after hearing that a friend of hers had recently opened her preservation box and found that the wedding veil tulle had rotted. She needed to know that hers didn’t suffer the same fate and asked her husband, Kevin, to retrieve her preserved wedding gown and bridal veil.
“As for my daughter, Mary, using it, that was not at all anticipated. One night when they were over for dinner, they wanted to open the box. She looked at my dress and said, “No.” But she looked at the veil and fell in love with its potential.”
Vintage Wedding Veil Restoration
This 80s headpiece and veil were so spectacular, but to wear them as a modern style down the aisle would take great thought, patience, and expertise.
“I was not 100% convinced on the headpiece, at first. I didn’t see myself wearing a crown on my wedding day, so I initially thought that I only wanted to restyle the veil. When I met with Marie, I felt like she understood what I wanted more than I did. I trusted her vision.”
Alita bought her Priscilla-made headpiece and veil at Suki Rosan’s in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
“I fell in love with the veil first. I was obsessed with the little flowers and crystals on it.”
This veil was breathtaking. As much as I loved it, I knew it would require much time and skill to repair and restyle it. There was a huge hole near the bottom and several small tears throughout. It was also extremely wrinkled with vintage creasing. The amount of glued sequin flowers and crystals posed a real challenge to make it wrinkle-free.
“Mary was not sold on using her mom’s crown when she came to the shop. In my mind, they were so beautiful that there was no other option but to wear them together. ”
I understood all that Mary didn't like about her mom’s headpiece. It was bulky, weighed down by globs of glue, and exhibited the density and height of late 80s pieces. What I saw was the potential for a one-of-a-kind piece that would become strikingly beautiful and eye-catching, and a wedding heirloom vied for by family members.
After removing hundreds of vintage rhinestones from the crown, I determined a starting point and direction for the new design.
“I told Mary I could restyle her mom’s headpiece to be light and ethereal, while preserving the way her mother wore it in 1987. Every crystal needed to be stripped of glue and cleaned. I incorporated freshwater pearls and clear crystal in the crown design.”
We had enough crystals left over to design an accessory for her mom and sister, Aggie, with an additional accessory for Mary to wear during her reception.
A Unique Boutonnière For The Father of the Bride
“This actually started as a joke during a family dinner. I shared that my sister and mom would be getting headpieces too, so we could all wear a little of mom’s headpiece. My dad chimed in, “What, nothing for me?” We all laughed at first, but when Marie said she could make one, there was no question he would wear it — and he did!”
I designed this unique wedding boutonnière for Mary’s father by using remnants from her mom’s headpiece.
Attaching The Newly Designed Crown to Her Mom’s Wedding Veil
I designed the new crown to a specific diameter and circumference to fit the size of the original cutout in her mom’s veil. Sewing the headpiece to the tulle opening was tricky and intricate work.
“The finished wedding veil with the headpiece was all I had imagined. I hoped it was just as beautiful in Mary’s eyes.”
Mary and Jared’s Philadelphia Wedding
Photography by Sarah Alderman Weddings
Wedding Planner Courtney Space Events
VENUE / Crystal Tea Room WEDDING VEIL & HEADPIECE RESTORATION/ Headpiece.com GOWN / Sareh Nouri HAIR / Emboldened Hair Artistry MUA / Rae Beauty And Bridal FLORIST / Carl Alan
“I have photographed reworked pieces in the past, but nothing as in-depth on the restoration front as Mary’s exquisite piece. It genuinely took my breath away.”
“We take many wedding customs for granted, but if you think about it, the mother of the bride has very few “moments” at the wedding. Traditionally, it’s the father of the bride who walks the bride down the aisle and has the first dance. Mother of the groom gets a dance. Mother of the bride gets...to plan (lol). Honoring your mom with reworking her pieces and making time for special photographs is such a beautiful gesture. It’s also one that future generations can carry on, so a piece of mom can be there on those days, too.”
“What you created was more beautiful than I expected. And your excitement over the piece made it all the more special, as you loved the veil almost as much as I did.”
“Marie elevated the concept of “something old” to something that felt beautiful, important, and deserving of time and attention. Out of all of the wedding planning aspects, the headpiece and veil initially felt like a small task, but it became very clear when my mom and I met with Marie that this was bigger than we anticipated.”
“There were several times when Marie checked in and asked for input on the design process to make sure I liked where her design plans were going, and every time I told her I trusted her judgment and to do whatever she thought was best. I am so glad I did because her vision was better than I could have imagined.”
Mary’s dad, Kevin, didn't know that it was customary for the bride to give her father a gift on her wedding day.
“When I saw Mary for the first time on her wedding day, of course, I was blown away. When she gave me a gift box, I was taken aback. When I saw that it was a boutonnière that was made from my wife’s tiara...Well, I get choked up thinking about it now. It is a masterpiece. I will use it in the future for the most special occasions.”
“My dad lovingly called the ‘First Look’ the quality assurance check. At my parents’ wedding, someone stepped on the veil, causing a big tear at the bottom. He looked at the back, where it was torn, and admired how it looked brand new. He was very impressed!”
“It was amazing to see how such a timeless, yet well-loved piece that my mother wore on her wedding day was restored, repurposed, and recreated into something so meaningful for my sister and our family. Gifting me with a beautifully crafted and stunning hairpiece allowed me to feel more connected not only to my sister on her wedding day, but also to my mother. Marie undoubtedly has a delicate hand and creative eye, bringing this piece to life for a second time.”
Aggie is wearing a custom bridal accessory designed from her mom’s headpiece and gifted by her sister, the bride.
“When I saw Mary at our First Look, I was overwhelmed in the best of ways. She looked angelic. I can’t qualify it any better than that. Thinking that’s the person I get to spend the rest of my life with. It was so special!”
“I think guests were shocked by the crown. I don’t think anyone was expecting me to wear a crown. I was so happy with how it turned out. For now, it is preserved alone with my dress, but I’m sure it won’t be retired for long.”
Mary chose the Sareh Nouri wedding gown, “Primrose.” Sareh Nouri is one of my favorite designers and was the perfect pairing to her breathtaking vintage wedding veil and headpiece.
I loved everything about writing this month's blog. This crown and veil captured my heart. Its love story began almost 40 years ago, and unbeknownst to anyone who contributed here, it would become the center of a new love story. And simply put…
“Walking through the streets where we found each other, love always leading the way.”
See you next month on the Fourteenth