Comments on: Extreme Recycling: The Bridal Edition

By: Twistie

Twistie — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:10:06 +0000

Kimberley, I love the names and date sewn into your gown! What a great way to add sentiment while covering a goof! It’s nice that your friends are willing to share such precious things with you, too. My heart is now nicely warmed.

KES, I’m sure your personality will shine right on through. And if you’re not sure enough about it, a kickass pair of shoes can do wonders to express your unique self. How wonderful, though, to be able to have something of each grandmother to wear.

By: KES

KES — Wed, 21 May 2008 05:25:06 +0000

For my wedding, I’m wearing one grandmother’s dress and pearls, and the other grandmother’s garter and earrings. So my problem is trying to figure out how to inject my personality into all of the sentimentality!

By: Kimberley

Kimberley — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:49:23 +0000

I wore my best friend’s veil and pearl necklace and my maid of honour’s diamond earrings. And in my shoe was a silver sixpence dating from the year of my parents’ wedding.

Also, and this is the most sentimental, I embroidered a small piece of silk with my groom’s name and mine, and the wedding date, and sewed it inside my gown’s bodice. It kind of covered up a mistake I made trimming some interior seams, but hey- still sentimental!

By: Never teh Bride

Never teh Bride — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:34:32 +0000

That’s awesome, Redblurb63! They’re very pretty!

By: Twistie

Twistie — Mon, 19 May 2008 22:43:17 +0000

Oh, Redblur63, I just wibbled. That’s so beautiful.

By: Redblur63

Redblur63 — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:06:21 +0000

When the Norwegian and I proposed the first time, he did so by giving me his family’s traditional wedding solje-a silver heart-shaped brooch with dangling tiny silver spoons. These are given to Norwegian brides on their wedding day for good luck and as a symbol of love. I have it in a nice box because by tradition, I can’t wear it until the wedding. Instead of a flower girl, we are having my young niece bring the solje in a basket, and the Norwegian will pin it to my gown after we exchange vows and rings. This first proposal was even more meaningful than the one with a ring, because he chose to do it using a lovely family heirloom and following the custom of his heritage.

By: Twistie

Twistie — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:59:41 +0000

Thanks, C*. It’s a bit like still having a piece of her with me. My mother and I were very close. And of course it doesn’t hurt that her ring is very much in my style.

By: C*

C* — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:06:38 +0000

Awww that’s awesome that you wear your mother’s rings, Twistie. What a great tradition.

By: Twistie

Twistie — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:38:55 +0000

That sounds gorgeous and meaningful, C*. I love a good mantilla.

Ari, that’s a great story. Hang onto those blouses! What a fabulous bit of history to have.

As for me, I wore my late mother’s tartan arisade and silver brooch on my big day…and I chose to use her wedding ring as my own. I’ve always been glad I did, too.

By: Ari

Ari — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:08:19 +0000

Not wedding dress exactly, but my grandmother was in the French resistance during the same war and she and her sister who had buried many Allied parachutes when aiding them, after the invasion dug up the chutes and made blouses with the silk. We still have some.