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Summary

Brides Are Remixing Hand-Me-Down Wedding Dresses & TikTokers Are Split On The Results

One bride is turning her mom's wedding dress into clutches.

The brides showing the old and new wedding dresses in their TikTok videos.

The brides showing the old and new wedding dresses in their TikTok videos.

Senior Writer

While some brides choose to re-wear old family hand-me-down wedding dresses on their big day, it looks like others are choosing to turn them into something new.

A couple of brides on TikTok are sharing how they are repurposing their hand-me-down wedding gowns and based on the divided reaction, not everyone is sold on the results.

One of those brides is TikToker Emily Mariko who shared that she plans to turn her mom's dress from the 80s into clutches for herself, her mom, grandma and the bridal party.

"Her dress is made out of traditional Japanese kimono fabric," Mariko said in her video.

She then showed a close-up of the dress and pointed out the design on the fabric, the delicate beading and the chiffon panels before trying it on.

"I love it, so elegant," she said. "I feel really beautiful in it. I gotta go call my mom," Mariko added.

Many people were shocked by Mariko's plans and told her not to go through with it.

"EMILY DON'T MAKE THE CLUTCHES 😭 - get it tailored!" one person said in the comments.

"I love the idea of repurposing dresses but that is too stunning to make into clutches. Make a beautiful robe or a rehearsal dinner dress 🥺" another person wrote.

"That dress should be protected at all costs," another TikTok user stated.

However, others were supportive and one person said it was better to "create something that is useful out of it then letting it literally sit and rot in a closet."

Mariko isn't the only bride choosing to change an old dress for their wedding ceremony.

TikToker Brittany Dalena recently shared a video of herself wearing a third generation wedding dress that she turned into a rehearsal dress.

In the clip, Dalena walks up to who many assume is her grandmother. Her supposed grandmother's expression turns from a smile into shock as she yells "Oh my God" once she realizes what Dalena is wearing.

The video goes on to show other members of Dalena's family who have worn the dress on their wedding day before it ends on Dalena showing off the dress which she had made into a matching top and skirt.

@brittanyltibbs

3rd generation wedding dress turned into a rehersal dress🤍✨

Once again people were split on how they felt by what Dalena did with the dress.

"The cut is gorgeous but I would hate to cut such a dress if it were for 3 gens," one person wrote.

"She said 'oh my god you cut my dress,'" another person commented.

However, others focused on the emotional moment between the two women instead of the dress.

"This is so precious," one person said, while another wrote, "well my emotional capacity for the day has been reached."

"Can we talk about how excited she was to see you even walk in though 🥹🥹🥹🥹 WE DON'T DESERVE GRANDMAS!" another TikTok user added.

While many people are not supportive of the big changes to the old wedding dresses, others think it's sweet the brides are incorporating a piece of family history into their big day.

Do you like the idea of repurposing an old family wedding dress?

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  • Senior Writer

    Asymina Kantorowicz (she/her) was a Senior Writer for Narcity Media. She has worked at Yahoo Canada, CTV News Vancouver Island, CTV News Channel, and CHCH News. Over the past eight years, she took on various newsroom roles and helped produce award-winning newscasts. Loving the fast-paced environment of any newsroom, she helped cover stories like the 2016 royal visit to Victoria, the 2019 B.C. manhunt, and provincial elections. She had an MA in journalism and a BA in media from Western University. She moved from Toronto to Victoria a few years ago and loved being close to the ocean.

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