Bridal Shower Heirloom Gown Reconstruction

Tyler brought in her mom’s wedding gown to repurpose into an adorable cocktail dress for her bridal shower. When she came to the studio for her consultation, Tyler communicated that she wanted to keep elements of the original gown the same, so that it would still be recognizable, but she wanted to modernize and shorten the gown for her garden party themed shower.

Consultation and Design

We were able to keep the bodice intact with some minor alterations. The sleeve was removed, deconstructed, and replaced as a short puff sleeve with reduced volume from the original. The skirt was removed, and recut (avoiding a pesky stain down the front of the original dress) as a short A-line silhouette. The result was everything Tyler was hoping for this extra special event.

Photo Credit: Brittany Makinen Photography

Bridal Shower!

Photo Credit: Brittany Makinen Photography

The most heartwarming part of this transformation was that it was a complete surprise for her mom, who had been told the gown was being repurposed for a christening gown. Tyler even hired her photographer friend to capture her mother’s priceless reaction to the surprise. The cherry on top? We still had enough fabric left to create the christening gown that was promised.