9 Brides Who Dared to Wear Their Mom or Grandma’s Wedding Dress to Their Own Wedding

A wedding dress holds profound meaning for a bride and is often picked with utmost attention and care. Here's how nine brides made headlines with their unique dress choices.

The institution of marriage has existed since time immemorial, and while the rituals may vary across cultures and races, the essence has remained uniform over time. Two people, bound by nothing but love, exchange their vows and choose to stand by each other for the rest of their lives.

"In sickness and in health," "for better or worse," and "till death do us part" aren't merely words but encapsulate the depth of emotions, powerful enough to keep two hearts beating in unison. Every bride wants to mark her big day feeling special and looking her best possible self.

Often, it comes down to picking the perfect dress so that nobody can stop you from making your own fashion statement and feeling like a real-life Disney princess. If you're looking for inspiration, we've curated a list of nine brides who rocked their mother's and grandma's dresses at their wedding.

1. Enlisting the Help of a Seamstress to Revamp Her Mom's Dress

Erica Peterson, from Tacoma, Washington, had no idea that her mother's wedding dress was still lying somewhere until she got engaged. The dress had never been fully preserved, except for being cleaned once, but Erica was keen to check it out and wanted to see if she could actually wear it.

Knowing that her mom, her grandma, who was lovingly known as "Mite," and her future mother-in-law wanted her to try their dresses, Christina obliged.

Upon seeing the dress's puffy lace sleeves and high neckline, Erica was almost convinced it wasn't meant for her. However, it didn't take her long to change her mind, and she began drawing sketches to see how the outfit could be altered.

Eventually, she shared her sketches with a friend and seamstress, Lisa Mensonides, who removed the neckline, lowered the opening at the back, and adjusted the sleeves to appear more fitted. Because Erica's mother had a longer torso, Lisa also dropped the skirt from the bodice to shorten it.

Despite the modifications, the lace on the gown was retained, which brilliantly complimented the new design. Even Erica was oblivious to how gorgeous she would look and feel in her mother's dress from 1981, but she was glad she made that decision. In an Instagram post shared in August 2019, Erica wrote:

"My incredibly talented friend @mensoniquelowered the neckline and entire back (preserving all original lace and buttons), made the sleeves fitted, took out some ruffly stuff, and completely removed the bodice from the skirt to shorten it because my mom's torso is longer. Still one of my favorite things from that day!!"

2. Realizing Her Childhood Dream

Many girls dream of having a fairytale wedding when they grow up and Dawn Markley from Florida was no stranger to this notion. Ever since she was a kid, she envisioned the day she would walk down the aisle, wearing her mother, Linda Fitzpatrick's stunning wedding dress.

Linda was 30 when she tied the knot with Dawn's father in 1987. Little did Dawn know that many years later, she would marry the love of her life at the same age.

For her 2018 wedding, she had her heart set on her mother's dress, and while she searched and tried on other dresses, nothing appealed to her.

Dawn's family moved places because her dad was in the navy, but her mother kept the dress nicely stored and took it along wherever they went. And after trying on other options, Ms. Markley returned to her favorite dress, had it modified a little, and rocked it with complete confidence on her big day.

Other than marrying and beginning a new chapter of her life, Dawn loved wearing her mom's dress—a moment she would never forget and fondly look back on for the rest of her life.

In an Instagram post from March 2019, Dawn shared side-by-side pictures of herself and her mother on their wedding days—a welcome sight, indeed!

3. A Special Moment Forever Frozen in Time

Andrea Pollard, from Houston, Texas, had no idea that her big day would become even more memorable, thanks to her beloved dad and her mom's wedding dress. Andrea's mother, Barbara, wore a beautiful lace gown with full sleeves on her wedding day, stealing hearts with her bright smile.

After tying the knot, Barbara stored her dress and took care of it, which came in handy when her lovely daughter decided to embark on a new journey. It took nearly a year for Andrea to modify the dress—she had the long sleeves removed and the dress repurposed into a two-piece attire.

In an Instagram post shared on January 2018, Andrea shared photos of herself and Barbara from their big days. A part of the caption read, "I was lucky and glad to have found someone who could transform her dress into something that matches my personality. It was perfect!"

4. Falling in Love with Her Grandma's Dress

Christina Moffet and her husband, Alexander Moffet, went to the same school and later reconnected in college at a get-together. They went on their first date on Christmas 2013 and decided to tie the knot in October 2019.

It also garnered sheer love and appreciation from her family and friends, including her mom and grandma, with the latter being proud the dress held up for over 60 years.

When it was time to choose a dress, Christina first tried on those her loved ones had worn. Knowing that her mom, her grandma, who was lovingly known as "Mite," and her future mother-in-law wanted her to try their dresses, Christina obliged.

After weighing her options, she fell in love with her grandma's dress worn at her 1956 wedding. Although it was over six decades old, Christina said the dress felt exactly right and didn't need significant alterations.

When Mite saw her granddaughter in her gown, she was thrilled and told Christina she was truly honored. Christina wore a pair of earrings her grandma gave her mom years ago to complete her look.

Fortunately, everyone, including Alexander and the couple's family and friends, loved Christina's wedding look and showered her with compliments. A photo of her vintage-themed bridal dress garnered thousands of upvotes on the popular user platform Reddit.

Just like her grandparents, the Moffets had their honeymoon in Michigan. When asked how she felt about her decision regarding the dress, Christina chimed, "Mite is one of my favorite people on earth—it made the day even more special that I could honor her 57 years of marriage."

5. Like Mother, Like Daughter

When Gabrielle Mirabella Burch, from Lynchburg, Virginia, decided to marry Dave Burch in 2017, she didn't know how special her big day would be.

Many years ago, in 1981, her mother, Regina Mirabella, had walked down the aisle in a sparkling white gown. Sadly, the gorgeous dress suffered at the hands of an attic leak, but Regina decided to keep it anyway, owing to her strong emotional attachment.

When Gabrielle and Dave got engaged, Regina went to the crawlspace, took out the dress, and showed it to her daughter. Although the outfit had an 80s chic vibe and yellow stains in a few places, it still looked gorgeous.

Regina told her daughter that the dress appeared on the cover of a bridal magazine years ago. Eventually, Gabrielle had the dress cleaned and slightly altered, becoming a perfect fit for her big day.

In an Instagram post from June 2019, Gabrielle shared two side-by-side pictures of herself and Regina from their wedding days. She captioned the post, "Happy 38 years to my parents, and thanks again for letting me borrow your dress, Mom ❤️."

6. Three Generations of Brides & Their Love for the Same Dress

Natalie Nicholson and Nathan Suits met on a cruise in Mexico in 2008, but it took them another ten years to make things official. Although it was love at first sight, Natalie lived in California, and Nathan resided in Alabama, which didn't favor their relationship dynamics.

Many years later, on Valentine's Day, Nathan sent a long and emotional message to Natalie, and a year later, he moved to California. Six years after that, they got engaged and began planning their wedding.

At first, Natalie thought she would pick a modern bridal attire to match her taste and preferences. When she had difficulty choosing the right dress in terms of price and fitting, her mom suggested she look at her grandmother's dress.

Natalie's grandma had originally worn the Bonwit Teller gown in 1955, after which her mom wore it for her wedding in 1984. Although she had tried on the dress as a kid and liked it, Natalie never thought she would consider it for her big day.

While dress shopping, she realized she was loving gowns with full skirts, much like her grandmother's dress, so she returned home and looked at the dress again. She recalled:

"It just felt right this time. My mom thinks she secretly coerced me into it — but I made the decision despite her 'subtle' hints, not because of them."

Natalie said the dress didn't require any alterations and had to be dry-cleaned only. It also garnered sheer love and appreciation from her family and friends, including her mom and grandma, with the latter being proud the dress held up for over 60 years.

7. Rewearing Her Grandma's Dress & Headpiece

When Kate Turner decided to tie the knot, she shared the news with her grandmother, Rosella Rieske, who was thrilled.

Kate's grandma, who married her grandpa in 1946 when they were barely 16 and 18, showed her granddaughter her handmade headpiece, followed by her wedding dress. Luckily, Kate loved both the gown and the headpiece.

For her 2018 wedding, the gorgeous bride not only donned her grandmother's bridal gown and crown but was surrounded by her loving grandparents as she walked down the aisle.

Kate, who had always been incredibly close to her granddad and grandma, felt fortunate to have them around on her big day—something she would never forget. While they passed away a year after her wedding, their presence and Rosella's dress constituted a timeless memory.

8. Passed Down through Three Generations

Kate Tafelski was blissfully unaware that a global pandemic would change her wedding plans, at least when shopping for the perfect dress. Eventually, she had to turn to the next best option, the dress her mother, Terry Kauffman, wore in 1989.

Years ago, in 1961, Terry's mother and Kate's grandma, Margaret Ann McCarty, had worn the dress for the first time at her wedding. The original gown had full sleeves, a skirt featuring laced edges, and a scalloped neckline.

Terry introduced statement sleeves to the dress and removed the hoop skirt for her wedding, while Kate made slight modifications for hers, keeping in mind her grandma's original attire from the 1960s. Kate's wedding look was a sweet love letter to her mom and grandma, and everyone loved it!

9. Keeping a Lovely Tradition Alive

Paige Pearl's beloved grandma, Susan Devitt, turned heads when she donned a spectacular gown for her 1962 wedding. She preserved it so nicely that when her daughter, Stacey Devitt, decided to tie the knot in 1983, she had to look no further than her mom's vintage closet.

Stacey's wedding gown was inspired by the classic movie "A New Leaf" and had a subtle 60s vibe that magnified its beauty. With a little help from a seamstress to fix the torn sleeves, Paige donned the stunning dress for her special day in 2019, and it was a perfect fit. She expressed:

"I figure if I have at least five daughters maybe one of them will wear it, assuming people are still getting married at that point."

What was your favorite wedding look, and who do you think wore the dress perfectly? Do you have any similar traditions in your family that you or your loved ones have managed to uphold over the years?

Click here to read another story where a grandpa walked his wife, daughter, and granddaughter down the aisle in the same wedding dress.