Wedding Dress Alterations Guide: 10 Ways to Alter Your Mom’s Wedding Dress

Using your mom’s wedding dress is a timeless and sentimental way to honor your mom and family, and wedding dress alterations are a beautiful way to make it your very own. It is a fantastic way to take something truly vintage and sentimental and transform it into something that reflects your personal style.

Whether you want to wear your mom’s wedding dress on your wedding day, use your mom’s wedding dress as materials to make a new wedding dress, or repurpose it in another way (for a different occasion), altering your mom’s wedding dress is a super creative and meaningful way to incorporate her legacy into this new journey in your life.

In this blog post, we will explore 10 inspiring ways to alter your mom’s wedding dress and turn it into a unique part of your wedding celebration!

1. Transform It into Your Wedding Dress

This is so very special.  Reimagining your mom’s wedding dress as your very own is a beautiful way to take “something old” and make it new and completely yours, while still holding onto its sentiment.  

We have listed some adjustments you can consider for altering your mom’s wedding dress and remaking it as your own:

• Alter the neckline – Some necklines are standard for the time the dress was created, so you might want to add a more modern plunge or perhaps something like a sweetheart cut. These are just two examples but there are plenty of choices that can suit your style.
  
• Adjust the sleeves – You may want to consider shortening the sleeves if the dress is long-sleeved (which was very popular back in the day). Or, if your Mother’s dress was sleeveless, you might want to or add cap sleeves to give the dress a fresh twist.
  
• Fit alterations – This of course goes without saying. But, you may want to keep changes minimal and keep it simple and just tailor your mom’s wedding dress to your exact measurements for the perfect fit! Honoring the original design best you can.

2. Create a Stunning Wedding Day Robe

Keep the sentiment close as you get ready by transforming the details of your mom’s dress into a bridal robe for your big day. This is another fabulous way to take “something old” and transform it into something spectacular and new for your wedding day! This will make for stunning photo sessions as you get ready on the morning of your wedding day while creating a truly special memory and keeping your mom’s memory with you.

Here are some special ways to repurpose your mom’s wedding dress into a stunning wedding day robe:

• Repurpose Lace or Fabric – You can repurpose the existing lace or fabric from your mom’s wedding dress to give your wedding day robe an elegant and feminine look. Lace is like a fingerprint and truly special to each and every dress, especially in our mom’s days.
  
• Repurpose Buttons or Other Embellishments – Consider using the buttons or embellishments from your mom’s wedding gown to make the robe feel extra special. There is nothing like looking at a beautiful embellishment on your wedding day robe knowing it also belonged to your mother and was a part of her special day, too.
  
• A Special Keepsake – A wedding day robe is a truly special keepsake to wear while you prepare for your ceremony and then treasure forever. It also adds a sentimental element to your wedding day preparation photo session!

3. Turn It into a Rehearsal or Welcome Party Dress

If you love your mom’s wedding dress but want something a bit less formal for a pre-wedding event, consider repurposing it as a rehearsal dinner or welcome party gown. This is so much fun and it is a great way to honor your mom and family tradition while also creating space for you to have your very own new wedding day gown, too. 

Here’s how you can do it:

Consider making adjustments to your mom’s wedding dress like changing the length of the dress. You can shorten it to a cocktail-length dress for the rehearsal dinner! Or, you might want to add a modern color overlay to the existing dress, making for a perfectly warm-colored welcome party dress. If your mom’s wedding dress had a train, consider removing it to create a fun and stylish look to the gown. If the train fabric is long enough, it could possibly be used somewhere else (think keepsake pillow).

4. Add a Modern Touch with Beading or Embroidery

So, if your mom’s wedding dress feels too vintage or perhaps even outdated, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered at Lace Envy Alterations! We can add custom beading or custom embroidery to the existing fabric of your mom’s wedding dress to give it a more modern feel for you. Some brides dream of using their mom’s wedding dress their whole lives, but as they get older, the style just isn’t for them anymore.  And hey, that’s okay! There is plenty we can do to make it your own!

You may want to consider incorporating your wedding colors, your new initials, or a meaningful quote into the design, to make it customized and extra special for your wedding day.

Adding customized, delicate beading to the existing lace of your mom’s wedding dress can elevate an old dress design and make it something truly unique and ultra-eye-catching. Your guests will be shocked to hear it was once your mother’s wedding dress!

5. Incorporate It Into Your Bridal Bouquet or Accessories

Another special way to include your mom’s wedding dress in your big day is by using it to create small (but special) details for other bridal accessories! This is a really fun way to incorporate your mom’s wedding dress into your own wedding in small but special ways. You can create a small fabric bouquet charm or a piece of jewelry using lace or satin from the dress. This is a very special way to use the dress for something special just for you. Or, you can repurpose the fabric to create hair accessories like a headband or delicate customized veil.

Brides love this idea. It is truly special to wear a customized veil with embellishments straight from your mom’s wedding dress!

The addition of these pieces to your accessories on your wedding day will allow you to carry on the sentiment without needing to do a complete overhaul to your mom’s entire wedding dress. Maybe you prefer to keep her dress intact as much as you can. If so, this is definitely a direction for you to take.

6. Make a Custom Bridal Jacket or Cover-Up

Maybe your mom’s wedding dress fabric is a little too heavy for your wedding day vibe. Not a problem, you may want to consider turning it into a bridal jacket or cover-up for a chic and modern twist. This is great for church ceremonies or fall/winter weddings! The intricate fabric from your mom’s wedding dress can make an absolutely stunning bolero, perfect for cooler temperatures and evening photographs!

Looking for something more?

Consider adding modern fringe or a lace overlay to your mom’s wedding dress fabric to create a new look to your jacket or cover-up. Or, you may want a minimalist satin sash to make it your own.  There are really so many ways to use elements from your mom’s wedding dress in this scenario to create the perfect customized bridal embellishment.

This is truly special as the bridal jacket will become a one of a kind piece with elements from both you and your mom within.

7. Turn It into a Flower Girl Dress

This is a fan favorite. If you’re looking to incorporate your mom’s wedding dress into your big day, and in family photos, then you may want to consider transforming the gown into a flower girl dress!  Everyone in the family will be talking about it for years to come. This is also something that can be used for other flower girls in family member weddings in the future, creating a new family tradition!

Your mom’s wedding dress can be sized down to modify the length so that it will fit a young family member (like your flower girl). Then, adding a cute bow or a sash will give it a fresh and up-to-date look, while still using your mom’s wedding dress.

This is truly such a beautiful way to connect generations for years to come through a family heirloom, like your mom’s wedding dress. It allows you to create a meaningful moment and a new family tradition with the newer members of your family! Who knows, they may want to use their flower girl dress for their own flower girl when they get married!

8. Make a Handkerchief or Keepsake from the Fabric

If you’re looking to incorporate your mom’s wedding dress into your wedding day in a simpler and smaller way, we’ve got you covered! A simple and sentimental keepsake, such as a handkerchief or pillow, that is made from the fabric of your mom’s wedding dress, can keep her legacy with you on your wedding day, without going too over the top.

Make it special – At Lace Envy Alterations we can customize some embroidery onto your keepsake of choice, like a stitched-in note, initials, or a date. These personalizations can make the handkerchief or keepsake even more unique, personalized, and special to you.

Make it a gift – We can also create several keepsakes for you to use as gifts for your siblings, parents, or even your future spouse. This is a fantastic way to create and give a one-of-a-kind gift that they’ll cherish forever.

9. Use the Fabric for Your Bridal Party’s Accessories

Why not share your mom’s wedding dress with your entire bridal party?

Consider using the fabric from your mom’s wedding dress to create matching accessories. This is such a special way to honor your mom and your bridal party at the same time. We can work with you to do things like shawls, hairpieces, or even small purses will do just the trick. We can work together to create something with you that is truly unique and super special that your bridal party will have to remember sharing this momentous occasion with you.

This is a very special way to incorporate the sentiment of your mom’s gown into your overall wedding design. The girls will be using the accessories throughout the entire day and in pictures making these a real keepsake. It is also a wonderful way to honor your family while also providing a gift. It is a truly heartfelt sentiment that will make your bridal party feel extra special (and they are extra special, so why not, right?).

10. Use the Fabric to create a Wedding Day Keepsake Box

This is so much fun and truly special! If you’re looking for a unique way to use your mom’s wedding dress on your wedding day, without altering the dress itself too much, consider using just some of the fabric to create a wedding day keepsake box.

Brides who want to incorporate their mom’s dress, but don’t want to take too much from it, love this idea. You can use pieces of her dress to line the inside of the box that can hold one of your wedding invitations, bridal accessories, or a piece of the bouquet. Going forward this keepsake box will be a beautiful adornment in your home and a wonderful reminder of both your mom’s legacy and your wedding day for years to come.

No matter how you decide to alter your mom’s wedding dress, the outcome will be very special and meaningful for you. The possibilities are endless for transforming a cherished heirloom into something modern and sentimental to you. All it takes is some thoughtful alterations, a little inspiration, and your mom’s wedding dress can be a part of your wedding celebration in ways that are both creative and special for you.

Are you ready to start your mom’s wedding dress remake?

Let’s talk! At Lace Envy Alterations, we specialize in creating unique, customized alterations that make your mom’s dress feel like your own and something truly special to you on your wedding day!

Inquire today to begin the process of turning your mom’s dress into a masterpiece you’ll cherish for years to come.