A Popular Influencer is Restoring Courtlin’s Grandma’s Wedding Dress

My grandma's stunning 1950s wedding dress is getting a new life!

Amy Shane is popular social media influencer that restores vintage wedding gowns from the 1900s to the 1980s. Sometimes she finds the dresses on her own, but other times the dresses are donated to her. According to her official website:

"All donated gowns are restored and listed in my Etsy shop for only the cost of restoration. If the dress cannot be fully restored, it will be used to repair other gowns. If the family approves, a small note of the gown's past will accompany the gown."

After following Amy's Instagram account for awhile (amy_fortheloveofdresses), my mom made the decision to donate my grandma's wedding gown. With the stamp of approval from her sisters, as well as my grandpa, she contacted Amy and then shipped the dress off!

Before you ask me, "Courtlin, WHY would your family give up such a treasured family heirloom?!" you should know that the decision to donate it was not taken lightly.

My grandma (Darlene) and grandpa were married back in 1959, and stayed married for over 60 years. Her wedding dress was purchased from the iconic J. L. Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan in the early 1950s, and it wasn't just worn by her, but her two sisters (Patricia and Beverly), as well!

A few years before my grandma passed away, we pulled out her wedding dress from a box in the basement and made her put it on. The end result is one of my absolute favorite photos of my grandma.

After seeing the shape that the dress was in (and how tiny it was), we knew that it wasn't going to be able to be worn by any of the granddaughters in our family. So back into the box it went, and that's where it's been sitting ever since. Rather than letting the dress deteriorate further, my mom and grandpa thought that my grandma would want to see it given a new life. The dress is absolutely beautiful, and it deserves to be worn again.

Since Amy posted the unboxing video on her account (which you can see above), it has garnered over 1.3 million views, nearly 12,000 likes, and almost 800 comments! Amy told my mom that there are already three brides interested in the dress, even though the restoration hasn't started yet. We are SO excited to see how it turns out! I will be sure to keep you updated when the dress is finished!