Anna Beth and Daniel’s April wedding was filled to the brim with sentimental details, with none more special than her custom wedding dress. The couple said “I do” at the St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church, followed by a reception at The Theodore, an industrial wedding venue in Birmingham, AL. Local Birmingham wedding photographer Cailin Jones captured every sweet moment--from the quiet getting ready moments to the flower-filled wedding sendoff.

What makes Anna Beth’s designer wedding dress so unique is that it is an exact replica of her grandmother’s vintage wedding dress from 1951.

“This dress has become something my family is known for, and many people talk about when they enter my grandparents home,” says Anna Beth. “They see the wedding photos on the wall showing off the beautiful dress on so many different people in our family.”

Because this heirloom wedding dress had been worn by women in Anna Beth’s family more than six times over the course of 70 years, it was not in the condition to be worn again. That is where our team at Heidi Elnora Atelier stepped in! Anna Beth entered our doors with the request that our fashion design team recreate the original 1951 long-sleeve wedding dress using new fabrics, custom patterns, and couture sewing techniques. Our dress artisans painstakingly worked to match every stitch of Anna Beth’s family heirloom, from the fitted waist to the graceful swirls that trail along the shoulders and a-line wedding dress skirt.

“After 79 hours of the most incredible, loving, intensive, hand-stitched, and detailed work, the design team was able to help not only bring my dream to a reality of wearing my grandmother's dress, but they also recreated a family heirloom for generations to come,” shares Anna Beth. We couldn’t be more pleased with the end result, and Anna Beth wore this new heirloom wedding dress beautifully and proudly. It was a true joy to be a part of creating a new family heirloom that will be worn for the next 70 years--or more!

As the only bridal fashion house in Alabama, we are known for our custom wedding dresses, custom evening gowns, custom debutante dresses, and especially our work with heirloom wedding dresses. Our creative designers get excited when a bride brings in her mother or grandmother’s wedding dress with the hopes of incorporating this family heirloom into her modern wedding dress. From wedding dress recreations, to wedding dress reconstructions, to hand-sewing heirloom lace appliques into a brand new wedding dress or wedding veil, the options to honor an heirloom wedding dress are endless here at Heidi Elnora Atelier.

Says Anna Beth, “Heidi and her design team have a special place in my heart and I am forever grateful for each one of them making me feel a bit closer to my grandmother on my wedding day!”

Anna Beth’s custom wedding dress was enhanced by her timeless, natural wedding hair and wedding makeup, which was done by Birmingham-based sister team Dearly Beloved Hair & Makeup. Her loose bridal updo, chapel length wedding veil, and blue velvet heels brought classic glamour to Anna Beth’s wedding day look that perfectly mirrored how her grandmother looked at her own wedding.

The bridesmaids wore blush pink bridesmaid dresses by Show Me Your Mumu, while Daniel and his groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos from The Black Tux. The timeless wedding party style fit the traditional church wedding venue beautifully, as did the natural green and white wedding florals by local florist Jean Brown.

After the ceremony, the wedding party and guests were greeted by a modern wedding reception featuring food by local wedding catering company Beyond Details, a stunning tiered wedding cake by Rachel Buckley, and lively music by wedding band Emerald Empire. Surrounded by family, friends, and memories of past family weddings, Anna Beth and Daniel’s wedding thoughtfully put family at the forefront.

It was a true honor to recreate Anna Beth’s grandmother’s wedding dress for her wedding day, and we wish the newlyweds so much happiness!

If you have an heirloom wedding dress you are interested in reconstructing or incorporating into your wedding dress, give us a call at 205-250-5233 or click here to request an appointment.