Wearing my mom's wedding dress?

Question

My mom died when I was 13... I'm getting married next May (I'll be 23) and think it would be special to wear my mom's wedding dress. It's in pretty good shape... a little outdated, but I'm thinking of having someone that custom makes dresses cut off the sleeves, make it strapless, etc. to make it more modern day with a look that I'd like. I have the style in my mind that I'd like to change it to... but I don't know anyone that has ever done this. I want to see some before and after pictures of people who have done this with their mother's wedding dress. Did you do this? Do you have pictures? Or do you know a website where I could find before and after pictures of a mother's dress transformed for her daughter's wedding???
Thank you! :)

Answer 1

google it...I would put in "old wedding dresses restored with pics" or something like that. Whoever you are taking it to have it done should have something to show you of how his/her previous work turned out. Or, you could find a picture of a dress that you really like that is similiar to the old one (your mother's) and take it in to the person and say make it look as much like this as you possibly can without taking too much of "her" dress away.


here is a site you can go to that does this...and maybe you can contact her and ask her how you would go about something like that.


http://annettecohen.com/restoration.php

Answer 2

I lost my Mom at age 9. What a special thing! Find a good seamstress. Do this by asking people. Your best bet might be a fabric store. There are people that specialize in bridal gowns.

Usually they will sit down with you and go from your design. It's hard to know exactly what you are talking about and the style of the dress A good seamstress would be able to help you especially with figure type, etc.

Best Wishes!

Answer 3

A competent tailor can modify your mother's dress. Some of it will depend on how much fabric is available to accomplish what you want. Sounds like you want "less" dress than there is right now, which ought to be doable.

What you need to do is get recommendations for tailors who do wedding dress alterations. Interview the most promising ones, bringing mom's dress along to get their ideas of how the alteration would work. Then pick the tailor who seems to have the best ideas, the most confidence and the time to accomplish the alteration to your satisfaction.

I wore my grandmother's dress, and the only alteration it needed was some hemming in the front because she was a couple inches taller than I am. So the pictures really look identical -- sorry.

Answer 4

I am sorry for your loose.

This would be absolutely awesome, but I wanted to tell you that if you don´t wear your mom´s dress for the wedding, wear it for the rehearsal dinner. Tiffany Fallon, a Playboy model, did this, and she looked great. It was a 60s style dress, and I really thought this was a clever idea. In the video on youtube here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so6B59NjFDY it is the first white dress she is seen wearing-the one thát is off the shoulders-the one she is pictured in before the Monique L. wedding dress. I read the article in InStyle months ago, and it also showed a black and white of her mother in that same dress!

I would have worn my Mom´s dress-she died 8 years ago, but when she married, she was a size 2, and so am I...NOT!

Answer 5

I think it depends on two things: the type of girl and the relationship a girl has with her mother. 1) The type of girl: some girls would be happy to wear what their mother wore on her wedding day, as she sees it as where her family began, on the day of her parents wedding. Also, if the mother has passed on years before, the bride could wear the dress so that part of her mother is there that day and to honor her memory. Others also see that day as THEIR day and that they would rather make their own memories in a new dress rather than build upon ones in a borrowed one. 2) If a girl has an especially close relationship with her mother than she may wear the dress to honor that relationship, because nothing would make her happier than to wear her mother's wedding dress. To answer your main reason, most women don't (or try not to) think of the sexual part of it, especially when it comes to their parents. They see the wedding dress symbolized something more to them than their parents sexual relationship.

Answer 6

Wearing the dress your mom married your dad in would be soooooooooo special. I think that's a wonderful way to honor her memory. I personally wouldn't worry about the outdated look unless it's something you really can't stand. If you left it in tact when your daughter gets married she could wear it too. Think what a wonderful tradition that would be.

Have a beautiful wedding.

Answer 7

I dont have any pictures, but I think once you find the person who makes these "alterations" for you, they should have before/after pics of dresses they have done. Its a lovely idea, yet no small undertaking. Good luck!

Answer 8

I have seen it done and if you have good seamstress it looks wonderful. The seamstress should have a book of all her work- ask her if she has any pics since it really comes down to the skill of the seamstress.

Answer 9

That sounds like a good idea of honoring her.
I lost mine at 19.

I don't know of anyone who has done this, I was going to but we never found her dress.


I would do a local yahoo search for seamtresses in your area

or Call your local bridal shops for them to put you in touch with someone.

To help you transform your dream.
Good luck!
Email me if you need anything [e-mail]


Good luck in your planning!

Answer 10

I think that this is a great idea. There are actually seamstresses who specialize in this.
Good luck.