Incorporating my mom's wedding dress

[lock3130]

I really wanted to wear my mom's wedding dress but there'd be a couple of things that I'd want to change (it was absolutely beautiful on her....these things would just be to "modernize" it a bit). After much discussion, I decided that I don't feel comfortable altering my mom's dress.

We are trying to come up w/ ways that we can still incoporate her dress in the wedding. My mom suggested taking a piece off of the under side of the dress and using it as ribbon somehow. My sisters are two of my bridesmaids and it'd be neat if they had a piece of her dress too.

Any ideas on a neat way to do this?

Thanks!

 

[rogermerkle]

My mom made her dress with her mother 30 years ago for her wedding so she still had some of the leftover fabric from it. My seamstress cut a heart out of that material and then sewed it on the inside of my dress over my heart. No one could see it but my mom and I knew it was there. I don't know if your mom's dress has enough extra fabric to do that without ruining it or not.

 

[lpizzuro123]

Not sure if she still has her veil but I believe it was figmentfan used paart of her mom's veil. I think she took it apart and cleaned it and then redesigned it.

Linda

 

[Bride-to-be]

Are your sisters going to want to wear the same dress too?

If not I would just do whatever you feel you need to so that you are comfortable wearing it.

I wouldn't have too much cut from the underside so that it can't be worn again.

Another option might be to have a new one custom made to look like your moms but with the modern updates that you want.

 

[KSchwagg86]

I saw a wedding once where they placed the Bride's mom's and the Groom's mom's wedding dresses on display (with mannequins)...I think maybe the grandparent's dresses were there too...It was outside the actual reception room near the guest book I believe...could be cool!

 

[disbridemimi]

Do you have a pic of it? SO we can visulaize what we would be trying to put elsewhere?

 

[Promomx2]

I'm thinking of taking some lace from my dress and make a garter or a handerchief for my dd's wedding. Also maybe something to go around where you hold your flowers, cover for a bible, cover a picture frame. Or, i know this may sound crazy, but could you lay the dress and use it sorta like a tablecloth for the table you but your wedding pix? (I've had some leftover easter candy so my brain's running a marathon)

 

[lock3130]

Thanks everyone! Those are some really neat ideas.

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

I'm using my mom's veil and working with it to work with my attire. Her veil is HUGE, much longer than I would like-but that worked out b/c over the years some of it has discolored. So, we decided to take the trim off and cut down the tulle and make a new veil.
The cool part about her veil had a head band. They had these wacky head pieces 38 years ago...it was a head band and then had a loop that sat on her head...weird Anyway, the lace that is in the head band is just tacked into the band. So, we decided we are going to take it off and incorporate it into my flowers.
Pictures of her veil are in my PJ. I still have to get it cleaned, pull it apart and put it back together. (when classes are done )

 

[figmentfan814]

Not sure if she still has her veil but I believe it was figmentfan used paart of her mom's veil. I think she took it apart and cleaned it and then redesigned it.

Linda

Linda, you're right it was me We took off the lace and I added Swarovski crystals in its place. I would have liked to have possibly worn my mom's dress, but she was a lot skinnier than me It was a great way to incorporate her dress and we even have her on the video explaining about the veil which was a nice surprise when we got the final edit back from STVS. Here's the single post where we were doing the veil.
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=19710643&postcount=93

 

[figmentfan814]

I'm using my mom's veil and working with it to work with my attire. Her veil is HUGE, much longer than I would like-but that worked out b/c over the years some of it has discolored. So, we decided to take the trim off and cut down the tulle and make a new veil.
The cool part about her veil had a head band. They had these wacky head pieces 38 years ago...it was a head band and then had a loop that sat on her head...weird Anyway, the lace that is in the head band is just tacked into the band. So, we decided we are going to take it off and incorporate it into my flowers.
Pictures of her veil are in my PJ. I still have to get it cleaned, pull it apart and put it back together. (when classes are done )

A tip about cleaning the tulle. I took it to a cleaner's and they suggested doing it ourself. She said to soak it in the tub with Dreft It worked really great. We had a little trouble steaming it because I used crystals that weren't sewn on, but in the end it turned out great. Her veil also had a strange head band which we took off and I just put a comb in its place.

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

A tip about cleaning the tulle. I took it to a cleaner's and they suggested doing it ourself. She said to soak it in the tub with Dreft It worked really great. We had a little trouble steaming it because I used crystals that weren't sewn on, but in the end it turned out great. Her veil also had a strange head band which we took off and I just put a comb in its place.

Thanks for the tip!
How did you get the lace clean if it wasn't attached to the tulle? My mom's is more a ric-rac/fabricy kind of material.

 

[figmentfan814]

Thanks for the tip!
How did you get the lace clean if it wasn't attached to the tulle? My mom's is more a ric-rac/fabricy kind of material.

I didn't want the lace on the veil, so we removed it ahead of time. She said that we could put the entire thing in with the dreft, but I figured it was easier to remove the lace first.

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

I didn't want the lace on the veil, so we removed it ahead of time. She said that we could put the entire thing in with the dreft, but I figured it was easier to remove the lace first.

gotcha. Thanks! We'll try it~Once classes are done!

 

[Lindsay22]

I cut some lace off of my mothers dress and had them wrap my bouquet stem with it. It was beautiful!

 

[nickandlarisa]

I am actually doing almost the same thing as the previous poster. We took some lace from my mom's dress and gave it to the florist to use in my bouquet. Instead of wrapping the stems though, its going to be more like a collar right underneath the flowers.