Bride tries on mother’s wedding dress 30 years after parents’ wedding

‘My mom was THE most beautiful bride,’ daughter says

Every bride looks forward to showing off their wedding dress, and Rachel Cohen used her wedding day as an excuse to try on her mother’s wedding dress from 1994.

Cohen shared the unboxing and try-on video to her TikTok page, under the username @theraylist_. The clip started with both Cohen and her mother taking the dress out of its storage box. “My mom’s wedding dress has been packed up since ‘94,” read the text across the screen. “Today we finally opened it. I have been dreaming of this day since I was a little girl. My mom was THE most beautiful bride.”

After taking the dress out of the box, Cohen tried it on and had her mom fasten the corset top. The TikTok ended with Cohen showing off the dress in front of a mirror while giving a big smile. "A little bit of me always wanted to just get engaged already so I could finally try the dress," she told People. "I am not a girly girl by any means and never thought I would wear the dress, but when I put it on and it fit perfectly, I knew I had to wear it somehow, somewhere."

She even walked showed her dad what she looked like wearing the dress, and gushed over his response. “He told me, ‘You look amazing, but not as beautiful as your mom did on our wedding day,’” Cohen said. "I died a little inside and melted. I love their love and I know that by wearing this dress, I will carry a little bit of my parent’s love - and of course my mom - with me at all times while wearing it.”

As much as she loves the dress, she still hasn’t decided exactly what to do with it. Cohen said her goal is to “repurpose” the vintage wedding gown.

“I will either wear it to my welcome party or for the reception,” she said. “I absolutely love my mom’s gown, but I wouldn’t describe it as me so I am going to make it more me.”

Cohen explained that wearing her mother’s wedding dress would not only honour her mother, but also her late grandmother who helped her mother pick out the dress. That way, Cohen said it would feel like her grandmother is part of her wedding day too.

“My Grammy planned my parent’s entire wedding and obviously helped with the dress. She is no longer here with us, but I always hoped that she would be here for my wedding. This small decision doesn’t make up for it, but it sure adds something special,” she said.

Despite how emotional the wedding dress experience was, Cohen said it didn’t hit her until she began making the TikTok. “It wasn’t until I got home and edited the video did I get extremely emotional,” she said. “I was hysterical after watching it fully edited with the music - it’s just all so crazy. Life is crazy!”

Many people in the comments section gave Cohen encouragement over how well the dress looked on her. “It fits like a glove and doesn’t look like it needs to be fixed at all!!!! Please tell me you’re wearing it?” one commenter gushed. “This is one of the most timeless wedding dresses I’ve ever seen. I hope you wear her dress. You look fantastic in it,” another agreed.

A third person mentioned how the dress was still in fashion, writing: “OK, that dress is stunning. You could still wear that today!”