The dress

Heather: I had always figured that I would get married in my mother's wedding dress. The dress dates back to 1949 and had been worn by my grandma, my great-aunt, my mom, and my mom's cousin. Between them, they have a combined 188 years of marriage, and counting!

With all the other complications of wedding planning, I figured that getting the dress adjusted for my height would be the simple part…until I tried it on — or tried to try it on; it got stuck at my shoulders, and there was no way I was getting it on!

Joel's mother Anne asked me if I'd like to consider hers. It had a similarly rich family history: worn by her mother, two aunts, cousin, and her, for a combined 202 years of marriage!

It also bore a striking resemblance to my mother's dress: similar colour, waist shape, long sleeves with points at the wrists. And it fit! But I needed to lengthen it and wanted to incorporate my mother's dress, so I worked with dressmaker Nina Krakovna, who has a brilliant mind and magical touch and was able to combine the two beautifully.