Kendrika’s Wedding Gown Preservation in California

Real Bride Kendrika looked absolutely stunning for her wedding. She walked down the aisle dressed in her mother’s wedding gown–a beautiful, self-designed French lace masterpiece–and a cathedral length veil with a lace trim that was hand-sewed on. One of our prominent members in California, Door to Door Cleaners did a splendid job cleaning and preserving this true family heirloom of 42 years. Read Kendrika’s mom’s touching responses to our questionnaire, and check out the photographic documentation of the event, below:

When was your daughter’s wedding and where did it take place?

January 31st, 2016, at the HNYPT warehouse in downtown Los Angeles. The bride and groom both got ready and then stayed the night after the wedding at the Ace Hotel.

Who is the designer of her gown and where was it purchased?

The gown was designed by myself and my mother who was a seamstress. My mother’s friend, Ester, also helped with the design and sewing. My dress was built from scratch by my mother and Ester. So last year for my daughter’s wedding we went back to Ester and asked her to do the customizing and fitting. I used the lace from my Spanish-style veil to recreate her veil. She wanted a cathedral (floor length) veil with appliqué lace on the edges. So I hand-sewed my lace onto her veil for an added personal touch!

When did your daughter know that her gown was “the one”?

My daughter likes to tell me that she has always wanted to wear it, even as a young child. Her words are, “from infancy!”

What is your/her absolute favorite memory from her wedding day?

My favorite memory at my daughter’s wedding is: she walked down the aisle with no veil because it got caught on a cactus and slipped clean off her head! My other daughter Kristina found the veil and had to reattach it during the beginning prayer. There are pictures of the ceremony with and without her veil on.

My daughter’s favorite memory: “it’s so hard to tell, it honestly was a dream wedding. The whole wedding weekend was so fun—celebrating with friends and family. I was born and raised in LA, so having my wedding downtown was really meaningful. We had a friend who custom-made a piñata, which was such a relaxing joy to let loose and hit!”

Why did she want to get the gown cleaned and preserved?

I have five daughters who have all mentioned at different times that they wanted to wear my dress, so I have always been adamant about preserving it. Plus, it’s just so special. I have always liked the idea of keeping it nice for my daughters or granddaughters, even if just to play dress-up with.

What made the wedding ceremony feel extra special?

Well, not only did my daughter wear my dress, but my husband decided to wear his original wedding suit. My daughter’s wedding had a monochromatic theme where the guests had to wear black and\or white. When I got married my husband wore an all-white suit, which completely fit into my daughter’s wedding. It was incredibly funny and meaningful!

Also, our family has a lot of children (nephews/nieces, first and second cousins, grandchildren, god children, and so on). My daughter and her now-husband wanted all of them included. Not only were they all invited as guests, but most of them actually walked down the aisle as part of the wedding party. They did not have a traditional wedding party with friends; instead, they asked the kids to group up and walk down with them. It was an adorable and likewise hilarious gesture.

Our close friends and family helped with everything, from videography to floral arrangements; it allowed for a unique and stylish wedding with sentimental value to it all.

Why did you decide to get the gown cleaned by a member of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists?

Well, my daughters’ ages are all spread out—they are from 26 to 38 years old, and they have all at some point mentioned they wanted to try and wear it when they got married. So for each wedding I have gotten it cleaned and preserved it as well. The first time I used this company (Door to Door Cleaners), I loved the results. So naturally, I kept coming back!