The Evolution of a Family Wedding Gown

by Jess
(Miami)

I woke up that morning with a wonderful feeling of love and life. My mother was in the guest bedroom and I woke up with a cup of coffee and kiss on the cheek. My wedding gown glistened in the bay window with its new altercations. This was the same gown that my grandmother and mother wore for their weddings. This gown was not the same though, my mother started a family tradition when she was married. A tradition which I will pass on to my daughter.

Not wanting to be outdated with her mother's gown, but still wanting to make the gown an heirloom, my mother decided to "update" the gown with her own style, reflecting the style of her personality and time. After discussing how amazingly excited I was to see Bradley in his tux, my mother pulled out her family album with pictures of my grandmother's wedding. We flipped through the black and white pictures which had cracked a bit over the years, and began to tear with happiness.

Mom then grabbed her own wedding album. We looked at how mom had altered the dress from the wedding pics of my grandma. Mom, always the flirt, had added a lace top and lowered the seams; just to show a bit more skin in her bust line. She was beautiful. The dress was beautiful. It was just as beautiful as the day that my grandmother wore it...just updated.

When my mother handed me her dress she said that I could only wear it with one caveat; that I alter it to better fit my personality and style. She said that I could do anything that I wanted with it, but the material must be used, and handed down to my daughter. She and I sipped our coffee, and wiped the tears of happiness away from our already puffy morning eyes.

Shortly before the wedding, my mother and best friend helped me get ready. They did my make-up, my hair, and helped me get into my grandmother's, and mother's wedding gown. I had made some subtle changes to it (I absolutely loved what my mom had done to it back in the 80's). I simply added new lace, reduced the bell-shaped bottom a bit, and showed just a little bit of leg for my husband to stare at while I walked down the aisle.

Just before the I was set to enter the ceremony, my grandmother came in to see the dress for the first time. There we were...the three women of my family, and I felt the tremendous strength that family history can have on a young woman. My grandmother teared up, and I begged her not to so that my make-up wouldn't have to be redone, and she said, "Honey, you wear this better than I did 45 years ago." Mom added, "And better than I did 25 years ago."

I simply responded, "I know." We all laughed, and my father came in to walk me to the largest doors I have ever walked through.