Bride-To-Be Seeking Out Her Mother's Handmade 'Heirloom' Wedding Dress After It Was Mistakenly Donated
- - Bride-To-Be Seeking Out Her Mother's Handmade 'Heirloom' Wedding Dress After It Was Mistakenly Donated
Rachel RaposasDecember 15, 2025 at 10:12 PM
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NBC 10 WJAR/YouTube; The Gilbert Family
Bride-To-Be Seeking Out Her Mother's Handmade 'Heirloom' Wedding Dress After It Was Mistakenly Donated -
A Rhode Island bride is intent on wearing her family's heirloom wedding dress — even after it was accidentally donated
The dress was worn by her mother and made by her great-grandmother, Symone Gilbert told 10 WJAR
The bride is even willing to buy the dress back if necessary, she said
A bride is tracking down her "something old" for her wedding.
Symone Gilbert, a resident of Cranston, Rhode Island, has a clear vision of her perfect wedding dress: the one her mother wore for her wedding, which was handmade by her great-grandmother. The heirloom is incredibly precious to the family, Gilbert told 10 WJAR, so when it was accidentally donated to a local thrift store, Gilbert resolved to track it down at all costs.
Two weeks ago, Gilbert was helping her mother clean and declutter her basement, where the dress was being kept, she told the outlet.
The Gilbert Family
Bride-To-Be Seeking Out Her Mother's Handmade 'Heirloom' Wedding Dress After It Was Mistakenly Donated
"My mom had been going through piles, keep, donate, trash, and I just think there was a lot going on," she said. And in all the hustle and bustle, somehow the wedding dress ended up in the "donate" pile.
Three days after dropping off their selection of items to donate, the Gilberts realized the mistake that had been made. When they contacted the thrift store, Gilbert was told the dress had already sold.
In photos that GIlbert shared with 10 WJAR, Gilbert's mother wore a long-sleeved silky gown with a dropped waist, A-line skirt puffed shoulders and a deep V neckline. Gilbert's mother wore a voluminous veil, and held a white and pink bouquet of flowers on her wedding day.
The Gilbert Family
Bride-To-Be Seeking Out Her Mother's Handmade 'Heirloom' Wedding Dress After It Was Mistakenly Donated
Gilbert is determined to experience that moment for herself, dress and all. Her wedding will be held in December 2026, so she has a year to locate the dress. She'd even be willing to pay for it, just to get the heirloom back.
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"It would honestly be this full-circle moment," she said. "It would let me have three generations of my family connected because my great grandmother made the dress, my mom wore it, and my wedding day is on my maternal grandmother’s birthday and she passed away."
"It's kinda like a family heirloom at this point," she added. "I’m willing to spend money to get back a dress that was accidentally donated. I know it might sound a little crazy to some people, but it means that much."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
