Brides do not always expect to wear the wedding dress of her groom’s mom. When they are in this predicament, it is difficult to get out of the situation without hurting prospective moms-in-law’s feelings or risk starting a long standing feud with their moms-in-law-to-be.
Dealing with Mom-in-Law
Mother-in-laws are sentimental creatures and would love to see their prospective daughters-in-law wear their wedding gown that meant so much to them. In most cases, this is not about scrimping over the expense of a brand-new bridal dress, but a reinforcement of their lost youth. Seeing their bridal dresses making a comeback on the wedding aisle brings back happy memories and their pride over their great wedding ensembles. The dreams of young brides who have been planning their wedding dresses since they were five years old are dashed on the rocks. Grooms may understand this feeling or may not; but whatever the case, the ball is in the brides’ courts. They have to make a decision quick but the smart thoughtful bride can get out of the problem, pride and relationships intact. Now how do you deal with the problem?
You don’t go ballistic over the proposal. Keep calm and ask to see the wedding dress before you judge it unseen. It might be a spectacular bridal dress worth its weight in gold. If you are superstitious about wearing a bridal gown before the wedding, have it measured up against your vital statistics and if it fits, check out the seams and the ornaments attached to the dress. If the wedding dress has been preserved well, it will be a good idea to wear it on your wedding day. A few adjustments (with your mother-in-law’s approval) will make the dress perfect for you. If the dress won’t fit and would require massive handiwork and alterations, ask for your mother-in-law’s opinion.
Your mother-in-law’s wedding dress can be a beautiful and inexpensive manner to dress at your wedding
She might not agree to the drastic cuts and additions and that leaves you free from an obligation to wear the wedding dress. If she agrees, she is an understanding mom-in-law, and you are lucky to have her as an ally.
If you hate the dress on first sight, don’t show how disgusted you are but inspect the dress closely and pray hard that it won’t fit. If it does, ask your mother-in-law’s blessings to wear it instead for your wedding rehearsals because you don’t want to spoil the fun wearing your custom-made wedding gown ensemble. It will dawn on her that you have a point there but please her with a promise to have a pre-wedding photo in her beloved wedding dress. This tactic will make everybody happy including your groom.
Prepping Up the Retro Wedding Gown
Months before the wedding have the wedding outfit cleaned and refurbished. You might be surprised at how actually it looks good. Take the dress to a dress conservation shop if there are some tiny stains and if you want to have the same ornaments on the dress. They might be able to salvage and restore the dress to its original beauty and shine.
If the dress is too short but fits perfectly, ask a seamstress to create a skirt to match the dress. Creative seamstresses can recreate a new look for the old outfit and there is no need to alter your mom’s wedding dress. Now get ready in case mom-in-law has other ideas.
