I have my wedding dress from 30 years ago. Mom & Dad didn't have a lot of money for a wedding so I tried to save as much as I could. I made my dress out of a simple but lovely sheer fabric. Underneath I made a camisol and slips. My great grandmother was a dressmaker in Germany and we have a large box full of lace that she made. I found a lovely wide dress bottom with matching lace yardage that I used on the cuffs. My mom had two lace appliques on her dress that were on her mom's dress and I had them on my dress as well as using the cap that Mom had made for her wedding. My dress was full of meaning and tradition and I loved it.
Recently my cousin was talking to my mom about the wedding and my mom commented on my dress, "Her dress wasn't as nice as some...you know she made it herself." My mom's dress looked like a nurses uniform, takes all kinds. LOL