Old vs New

When asked if I prefer a hand-me-down wedding dress over a new wedding dress, I had to reflect. My mother made my dress from a picture I liked. I simply bought the fabric and she made it for me, and of course I still have it. My eldest says she wants to wear it when she gets married but I'm sure she'll change her mind. My youngest, however, says "no way I want my own". So what are my thoughts? Hmm! Hard for me to say. There's pros and cons to both.

A hand-me-down dress can hold sentimental value. It may have been a dress worn by your mother or grandmother and you want to honor them by wearing it. It can make you feel closer to them, especially if they are deceased. It can add a vintage flair to your day and provide a serve as historic semblance of your family’s union.

Other pros of wearing a hand-me-down wedding dress includes affordability, because it’s, most likely, free, except for cleaning and altering and it can serve as your “something borrowed”.

Although you can alter a hand-me-down dress to fit your personal style, if the dress is too outdated, alterations may not be feasible. Also, if there are hard-to-remove stains on the hem from walking or spillage on the beads/sequin, you may feel more at eased with purchasing a new dress.

Wearing a new wedding dress, relieves you of the stress of discovering stains, damages or fading. They are 100% customizable and typically in step with the latest trends. But beware, if you purchase off the rack, more than likely your dress is not unique, meaning there are hundreds more like it. Also buying a new dress and paying for any alterations due to weight gain/loss can become really pricey.

So what to do? Well, it’s your day so I say make sure your decision is one that makes YOU happy, that way you’re always in style.