Bride pays touching tribute to her mother by walking down the aisle in her 40-year-old wedding dress with just a few minor tweaks
- Bride Lauren has redesigned her mother’s wedding dress
- She changed the 1984 dress with designer Denisse Vera
A bride took her breath away as her guests walked down the aisle in her mother’s 1984 wedding dress that she had given a modern makeover.
Lauren Mraz enlisted the help of her old school friend and famous fashion designer Denisse Vera to alter her mother Kristina’s custom dress she wore nearly 40 years earlier.
The newlywed said her mother was “grateful and delighted” that she wore her dress when she tied the knot with husband Andre.
“Wearing my mom’s dress allowed me to embody my own values as well as my heritage and take them with me into a new chapter in life,” she told FEMAIL.
‘The guests couldn’t believe the dress was 39 years old! Everyone admired the harmony between the alterations and the original dress design.’
Bride Lauren Mraz (right) wowed her guests after walking down the aisle in a redesigned version of her mother’s wedding dress (left)
According to Lauren, Kristina kept her wedding dress because she had it custom-made and thought it might be useful to someone one day.
“After my engagement, I started talking to my mom about looking for second-hand gear and she said her wedding dress was still in good condition,” Lauren said.
“Since her dress fit me quite well, I decided to reuse and redesign it.”
Lauren and Denisse have occasionally interacted on social media since their school days, speaking kind words to each other when family members had passed away, and following each other’s careers.
Lauren enlisted the help of her long-time friend, who is now a well-known fashion designer, Denisse Vera (left) to redesign her mother Kristina’s tailored dress that she put on in 1984
“Initially, I just asked Denisse for a few recommended seamstresses because I knew she has her signature macrame style. But she offered to work on this dress herself!’ Lauren said
The Australian designer has made a name for herself with her unique handmade macrame outfits often seen on models and influencers at Coachella.
“Initially, I just asked Denisse for a few recommended seamstresses because I knew she has her signature macrame style. But she offered to work on this dress herself!’ Lauren said.
The Australian designer has made a name for herself with her unique handmade macrame outfits often seen on models and influencers at Coachella
“I was so honored to witness her creative process and am so grateful for her generosity.”
Denisse said every step of the redesign process with Lauren was “gorgeous” and that the couple shared a no-waste ethos with the bride wanting to minimize the environmental impact of her wedding in every facet.
“We deconstructed the dress and sewed it back together with more structure but with a chic and simplified look,” explains Denisse.
“She was received with such warmth and genuineness that my ideas blossomed and benefited from her expertise,” added Lauren.
Lauren went to numerous fittings at Denisse’s home when her studio was flooded in early 2022 and worked together to come up with the new design.
“We created a new neckline, added a layer of lining, structure to the bodice, a tulle illusion insert and reapplied the original self-cover buttons to the new center back and sleeve closures,” Denisse described on Instagram after.
Lauren attended numerous fittings at Denisse’s home when her studio was flooded in early 2022 and collaborated to come up with the new design
This may not be the last time Lauren and Denisse will work together and they hope to use the leftover materials from the dress for a future project
“We saved the lovely details for future reference and for Lauren to pass down as heirlooms.”
Denisse said Lauren looked “stunning” in her mother’s dress and “took her family’s breath away,” while the bride described her day as “sublime.”
Kristen was “grateful and elated” that her daughter donned her beloved dress on her special day.
“She is proud of my decision to cherish this heirloom. She has always taught me to value and not waste the resources I have,” Lauren said.
This may not be the last time Lauren and Denisse will work together and they hope to use the leftover materials from the dress for a future project.
“I look forward to creating something special with the leftover details from Lauren’s dress in my new studio, which is under construction and will officially open in mid-August,” said Denisse.