BETHLEHEM, Penn. When a Pennsylvania woman walks down the aisle in May, shell be bringing the love and tradition of 10 other brides along with her.
Abigail Kingston will be the 11th woman on her mothers side of the family to wear a wedding dress first donned by her great-great-grandmother Mary Lowry Warren more than 120 years ago, according to Daily Mail.
When Kingston first got engaged to fianc Jason Curtis, she was determined to join the tradition of family brides to wear the heirloom. But tracking it down was trickier than shed hoped the dress hadnt been worn since 1991.
Kingston and her mother Leslie the sixth bride to take her wedding vows in the dress finally discovered the dress was in the possession of family member Sara Seiler Ogden, who wore the dress at her 1960 wedding. Ogden shipped it along, but when the package arrived at Kingstons doorstep, she was heartbroken.
It was a dingy brown and had all this lace applique all over it to cover damage from wear and tear over the years, Kingston told the Daily News. I put on the top and it was almost a crop top on me, and the skirt had been cut short.
Kingston had all but lost hope when a family friend recommended a dressmaker who could help her return the dress to its former glory. The restoration proved to be a daunting task, even for the most seasoned designer.
Deborah had restored gowns before, but never one worn by 10 other brides, Kingston said. She spent 200 hours bringing it back to life.
The tradition of the dress actually took about 50 years to commence Warrens own daughter had no interest in wearing her mothers Victorian-era satin gown at her own wedding, according to the Daily Mail. It was Warrens granddaughter Jane Woodruff who first followed in her grandmothers footsteps and wore the dress in her 1946 wedding.
Over the years, the brides altered the dress to cover damage and meet the styles of the times.
Everyone kept cutting away and cutting away at it, especially in the 80s, Kingston told the Daily News. Now its in style in that its tea length, but it was never meant for that.
The dress had to be altered in a big way to get it back to what Warren first wore in 1895, something that Kingston felt a bit sad about. But the end result is a stunning tribute to the woman who started it all.
Kingston and Curtis will exchange I dos on Oct. 17. Kingston plans to wear a new dress for the ceremony, but will change into the family heirloom gown for the cocktail hour, the Daily News reports. Shell be covered in the something borrowed department also wearing her great-grandmothers ring and her grandmothers locket.
Photos of each of the 10 previous brides wearing the gown will be on display at the wedding.
Its not just the dress thats been handed down, its the love, she said.
Abigail Kingston will be the 11th woman on her mothers side of the family to wear a wedding dress first donned by her great-great-grandmother Mary Lowry Warren more than 120 years ago, according to Daily Mail.
When Kingston first got engaged to fianc Jason Curtis, she was determined to join the tradition of family brides to wear the heirloom. But tracking it down was trickier than shed hoped the dress hadnt been worn since 1991.
Kingston and her mother Leslie the sixth bride to take her wedding vows in the dress finally discovered the dress was in the possession of family member Sara Seiler Ogden, who wore the dress at her 1960 wedding. Ogden shipped it along, but when the package arrived at Kingstons doorstep, she was heartbroken.
It was a dingy brown and had all this lace applique all over it to cover damage from wear and tear over the years, Kingston told the Daily News. I put on the top and it was almost a crop top on me, and the skirt had been cut short.
Kingston had all but lost hope when a family friend recommended a dressmaker who could help her return the dress to its former glory. The restoration proved to be a daunting task, even for the most seasoned designer.
Deborah had restored gowns before, but never one worn by 10 other brides, Kingston said. She spent 200 hours bringing it back to life.
The tradition of the dress actually took about 50 years to commence Warrens own daughter had no interest in wearing her mothers Victorian-era satin gown at her own wedding, according to the Daily Mail. It was Warrens granddaughter Jane Woodruff who first followed in her grandmothers footsteps and wore the dress in her 1946 wedding.
Over the years, the brides altered the dress to cover damage and meet the styles of the times.
Everyone kept cutting away and cutting away at it, especially in the 80s, Kingston told the Daily News. Now its in style in that its tea length, but it was never meant for that.
The dress had to be altered in a big way to get it back to what Warren first wore in 1895, something that Kingston felt a bit sad about. But the end result is a stunning tribute to the woman who started it all.
Kingston and Curtis will exchange I dos on Oct. 17. Kingston plans to wear a new dress for the ceremony, but will change into the family heirloom gown for the cocktail hour, the Daily News reports. Shell be covered in the something borrowed department also wearing her great-grandmothers ring and her grandmothers locket.
Photos of each of the 10 previous brides wearing the gown will be on display at the wedding.
Its not just the dress thats been handed down, its the love, she said.
