Reimagining your Heirloom Wedding Dress
Everyone loves the tradition of ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”. Freeing your mothers wedding dress from storage and incorporating it into your wedding wardrobe is a touching and unique way to pay tribute to the tradition and celebrate in style.
Brides come to me with many different requests. They want to modernize their mothers wedding dress for their own rehearsal or bridal shower, want to make a gift that will last a lifetime or want a special way to honor the memory of their mother or grandmother. Whatever the occasion, I will create a customized look that suits you perfectly.
The Process
Whether the dress is too small, too large, or simply in need of updating, I’m able to help bring your vision to life with my expertise in design, sewing and patternmaking.
Start by sending an inquiry. Tell me how you are hoping to incorporate your mothers wedding dress into your special day. Is it a rehearsal or reception outfit? Is this the main look for the day? Do you need more than one dress/outfit made for you?
Don’t have a single idea? That is totally fine, we will talk about ideas during a virtual design consultation. Once you send me an inquiry, I will send you my price sheet and booking instructions for the virtual design consultation. If you have any pictures of your dress, please send them my way at the very beginning.
In your virtual design consultation, we will talk about different ideas you have in mind. I will make suggestions and ask lots of questions. Together we will go over the pictures of the dress that you have sent prior. It can be any type of picture; of your mother or grandmother in the dress from their wedding day or a current picture or of you wearing the dress yourself. Pictures of you wearing the dress work extremely well because we can discuss the fit. Once we come up with some exciting ideas together, I will send a follow up email with two sketches along with itemized pricing.
The Virtual Design Consultation
If you want to move forward with the project, we start planning fittings. The number of fittings you have is dependent on the work going into the piece. Expect 3-4 fittings.
As far as the timeline goes, on average you should have your completed dress within 3-4 months.
Fittings take place in NYC.
Timeline
Real Brides Redesign Projects
For Haley’s redesign project we took her Mother’s 1989 wedding dress and turned it into a 2-piece set for her bridal shower. We started by adjusting the neckline from a high scoop to a square. We took out the volume in the sleeve and hemmed the long sleeve to a short sleeve, while adding the same lace around the hem of the short sleeve. We moved up the drop waistline and adjusted it to her natural waist, and made pants out of the skirt fabric.
Haley
For Blair’s redesign project we took her Mother’s 1981 wedding dress and turned it into a short dress for her rehearsal dinner. We started by hemming the skirt to the length she wanted. We took out the volume in the sleeve and turned the long sleeves into short sleeves. We also adjusted the waist line by removing some of the lace to give the dress a more modern feel.
Blair
For Mary Kate’s redesign project we took her Mother’s 1981 wedding dress and turned it into a 2- piece set for her rehearsal dinner. We started by separating the bodice from the skirt, then took in the sleeves and brought up the waist line. We also turned the skirt into pants to fit her personal style.
Mary Kate
Please submit an inquiry if you are interested in a redesign project.
Revamp of your heirloom wedding dress averages between $1,500-$2,500.
Complete redesign averages between $2,500-$5,000.
Reach out for extended price list or any redesign ideas.