Kristen’s Wedding Gown Restoration in Ohio

Kristen wore a very special gown for her wedding–it was originally designed by Kristen’s grandmother in 1958 and was then passed down to Kristen’s mother. Fifty-eight years later, it was Kristen’s turn to get married! Our member in Ohio, Kimmel Wedding Gown Preservation and Restoration, altered and restored the gown for Kristen, making it as flawless for her third-generation nuptials as it was at her grandmother’s wedding. Check out the full post for more on Kristen’s touching story!

When was your wedding date?

October 22, 2016

What was your wedding location and venue name?

Cove Haven Resort in Lakeville, Pennsylvania.

Who is the designer of your gown and where did you purchase it?

My gown was my mom’s wedding dress as well as my grandma’s wedding dress. My grandma was married in 1958, and she had actually won a contest where she got to design her own wedding dress. So my dress is truly one of a kind. The dress is covered in lace which was all hand stitched.

When did you know that your gown was “the one”?

I always knew that I wanted to wear my mom’s wedding dress. I’m very close with my mom, and I was very close with my grandma. When I got engaged, getting the dress ready for my wedding was my top priority. It meant a lot to both my mom and me that I wore this dress. I wish my grandma could have seen me in person, but I know she was enjoying it from above.

What is your absolute favorite memory from your wedding day?

My favorite memory from my wedding day was probably our first dance. We had taken dance lessons to get a choreographed dance for our song (From the Ground Up by Dan+Shay). It was a completely new experience for us both, and we loved it. It was amazing to be able to show it to our family and friends, and dancing under the spotlight after just getting married was one of the most romantic moments of my life.

Why did you want to get your gown cleaned and preserved?

I got my gown restored, so I could wear it on my wedding day and truly do it justice. We lost my grandma in 2012, and I wanted nothing more than to wear her dress and be the third generation to walk down the aisle in it. The dress had been well taken care of, but being that it was fifty-eight years old, some yellowing had set in. Now that it has been restored back to the gorgeous white, I hope that I’ll have a daughter who one day might want to wear it for her own wedding, too.

What made your wedding ceremony feel extra special?

The dress, of course, was one of the main things that made the day very special for me! Another big detail that was important to me was that I made my own wedding cake. It was tough to do with the wedding being a destination wedding almost nine hours from home, but I couldn’t be happier with the outcome! My cake business is named Sweet Annies after my grandma, who always believed in and encouraged my baking. So between the dress and my cake, she was very present at my wedding. I’m thankful for that.

Why did you decide to get your gown cleaned by a member of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists?

I chose Kimmel Wedding Gown Preservation and Restoration because I needed someone I could really trust with my grandma’s dress. The dress was always important to me, but it became a very treasured possession with my grandmother’s passing. I wanted a place that I knew specialized in restoring old wedding gowns and one I felt confident would do a great job with it. I found that at Kimmel’s, and it was well worth the three hour trips there and back to have them restore and alter it.