She wore her grandmother’s wedding dress from 1961 on her big day and it fit like a glove.
This Massachusetts bride found an incredibly special “something old” and “something borrowed” for her big day. On September 25, Allison Livingwater married Timothy at Turners Falls. The 23-year-old looked lovely in a beautiful white lace gown originally worn by her grandmother in 1961.
Anne Cooke, who is 88 years old, was shocked that her granddaughter chose to wear her old gown. “She stored it in an old bag because she did not think it was special, but to me, it was,” Livingwater told Mercury Press in PEOPLE.
The gown sat in the basement for 60 years, but was as good as new after a quick cleaning. Even more amazing was that when Livingwater tried it on, it fit perfectly! “My grandma couldn’t believe I was the same size as her,” the bride said. I think the dress has brought us even closer together.” Weddings are already emotional events, but for this family, it was even more so. Livingwater never met her grandpa, as Cooke’s husband of 38 years died before she was born.
She knows “they had a successful, long, and happy marriage,” Livingwater said. “So I felt the dress opened the door to my marriage.” The 88-year-old couldn’t hold back her tears when she saw her granddaughter wear her special dress.
“She was in tears when she saw me for the first time on my big day,” Livingwater said it. Everyone was moved by the special moment including the newlywed’s father, George Cooke, 57, who also cried. “My dad was over the moon when he learned that his mom wore the dress to marry his dad,” she said.
The dress made the occasion even more memorable. “Everyone complimented me and thought it was a beautiful gesture,” she said.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Livingwater grew up with her grandmother after her husband died after 38 years of marriage, and despite the grandmother remarrying, the gown still brings back old memories. As she wore the dress to marry my granddad, the dress is obviously sentimental to her. She saved $2,000 because she didn’t have to buy a new one. Her hoop skirt underneath the gown and a veil were the only modifications she needed to make. When she saw the dress for the first time in 2016, she knew it was something special.
The moment I saw the dress, I knew I wanted to wear it. If I had bought my own, it would have cost $2,000 so it’s great to have saved some money while creating special memories.” Others celebrated the gesture, calling it a meaningful gesture. A Twitter user commented: Beautiful dress, beautiful bride…
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