A 23-year-old bride made her special day even more memorable by walking down the aisle wearing her grandmother’s 60-year-old wedding dress.
Allie Livingwater, from Massachusetts, tied the knot with Timothy, 27, on Sept. 25 wearing her 88-year-old grandma Anne Cooke’s white laced wedding gown.
The dress was discovered in a black bin liner in 2016, and Allie immediately knew she wanted to wear it. The long-sleeved dress required zero alterations but needed a clean after being stored in the basement since 1961.
Allie, who is a pharmacy student, said: “My grandma couldn’t believe I decided to wear her dress.
“She stored it in an old bin bag as she didn’t think it was anything ‘special.’ But to me it was.
“She was tearing up when she saw me for the first time on my big day.
“It was an incredible moment that I will treasure forever.”
Allie grew up with her grandma as the family moved into her home when Anne’s husband, George, passed away after 38 years of marriage.
“The dress is obviously sentimental to me as she wore it to marry my granddad. I had never met him, but I know they had a successful, long, and happy marriage.
“So it felt like the dress paved the way for my marriage.”
By wearing the gown, Allie saved about $2,000 as she didn’t have to buy a new one. All she needed was a hoop skirt and a veil.
She said it was a “no-brainer” for her to wear the dress.
“I fell in love with how the dress looked from the moment I had seen it,” she said.
“If I was going to buy my own, it would have been $2,000 so it’s great to have saved some money whilst creating special memories.
“My grandma couldn’t believe she was the same size as me as it fitted perfectly. I definitely think the dress has brought us even closer together.”
It wasn’t just Anne tearing up but all the guests too, especially Allie’s 57-year-old father, George Cooke.
“My dad was over the moon as his mum had worn the dress to marry his dad,” she said.
“Everyone was complimenting me and thought it was a lovely gesture.”
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