Finding the wedding dress of your dreams may take you across multiple bridal salons, or the gown you’ll wear on your special day might just be hanging in your mother’s closet. If you are considering wearing your mother’s wedding gown for your own big day, follow these four simple tips to owning your wedding day and the gown of your dreams.
Tip #1: Altering a vintage dress can be risky business.
If you are set on wearing your mother’s gown, but you want to make it look fresh and exciting, proceed with caution. Altering a vintage dress is not for the faint of heart, and you’ll need to really do your research and find a seamstress or tailor that specializes in vintage gowns and dresses. The project may also be emotionally charged, so ensure you (and your mother) are both up for the emotions that will come with altering a dress that she has such a strong connection to.
Remember, a vintage dress can be altered, but there are some constraints. If you have your heart set on a backless number, but your mother’s dress is a high-necked, lace confection, well, the alterations of your dreams may simply not be possible. You’ll have to make some concessions, too, if wearing your mother’s gown is important to you.
Tip #2: You can use parts of a dress.
If your mom’s gown just isn’t your style, and the most talented seamstress on earth can’t change it to your liking, you aren’t out of luck yet. There is always the possibility of using parts of the dress on your own gown, too. A talented seamstress can remove rhinestones and appliques from one dress and place them onto a new dress, or even create a belt that incorporates elements of your mother’s dress into it. This is one way to get the dress you always wanted, but keep your mother’s dreams close at heart, too.
Tip #3: Don’t forget to make it your own.
Let’s be honest, you’ve been dreaming about your wedding day for years, and part of that dream includes the gown. While you may love your mother’s gown, you don’t have to be your mother on that day. When wearing a vintage gown passed down from mother to daughter, be sure to add something that makes the dress your very own.
For example, adding a sash or ribbon can change the feel of a dress instantly. A corset back’s strings can be changed to incorporate your favorite color, or an embellished belt can be added to give a bit of sparkle to an otherwise plain gown.
Tip #4: Carefully select a cleaner.
Finding a cleaner who is familiar with the ins-and-outs of vintage gowns can be difficult, but it can be done, and it is important to do. Remember, a gown that has sat untouched for 30 years will need to be brought back to life. Ask around for cleaner recommendations. You may even want to call a few bridal shops to see what they suggest, or if they have any cleaners they deal with directly. Finding the right cleaner to take care of your priceless gown is a must if you are going vintage. After all, you wouldn’t want the gown that has been loved for so many years to be destroyed before it makes another trip down the aisle.
Your wedding day should be everything you ever dreamed of, and so should your dress, regardless of whose dress it really is. Remember, even if you are wearing your mother’s gown, make it your own, and feel comfortable, sassy and beautiful in it!
Photo credit: thenestor / Foter / CC BY-SA
