Marta's Heirloom Wedding Gown

Photography by Alisha Fenn

There is so much to say about this smile queen. She is such a beacon of light and beauty, and it was my great pleasure to redesign her heirloom gown. This gown was so very special. It was worn by four of Marta’s aunts and originally worn by her beloved grandmother who passed away shortly before Marta’s wedding. 

Marta’s aunts each made the dress their own. Adding different laces and sizing the dress up and down with each bride. The dress told quite the story. The old stitch lines, wine stains, and even a few broken button loops. Marta had stared at pictures of her grandmother in the dress since she was a little girl. She even attended several of the weddings when her aunts wore the dress. She always knew it was the dress she wanted to wear when she got married. 

After all the years and modifications, Marta wanted to restore the gown to its original glory. All the lace needed to be removed and the clean, vintage lines restored to the bodice. Because the dress had been altered so many times, I had to recreate the bodice. I used the old pattern pieces to make a new bodice complete with diamond pointed sleeves, elizabethan collar, and a basque waist. 

Every fitting with Marta was a dream. We started with the muslin and worked our way back in time until the dress was replica of her grandmother’s original gown. It was a beautiful way to honor her grandmother on a day when she was surely missed. 

Special thanks to Treasured Garment Restorations for helping clean and restore the gown. We also did the alterations for a fabulous tea length reception dress!