Something old, something borrowed: Allison Shellito wore her great-great grandmother's dress for her wedding day - and it was still in almost perfect condition 127 years after it was first worn On Allison Rinaldi’s wedding day she didn’t have to think twice about what her 'something old’ would be.
For even before her husband popped the question she knew when she said I do she would be wearing a wedding dress that had been in her family for 127 years.
Bought in 1884 for her great-great-grandmother’s wedding day, it has since been worn by her grandmother, aunt and mother too.
Keep it in the family: Jean and John Shellito, who married in 1941 with Jean wearing the wedding dress that belonged to John's grandmother, Nellie, who wore the dress in 1884 for her own wedding'I always knew I wanted to wear the dress,' 23-year-old Alison said.
'I even tried it on when I was a little girl.
'Not only did I think it was beautiful but I loved the sense of history which came along with it too and I am such a family kind of girl it meant a lot for me to carry on the tradition.
Memories: Allison's mother Mimii also wore the dress on her wedding day in 1982 when she married Jack. 'It looked as stunning on Allison as it had so many years before when I wore it,' she said'My mum and grandma would always talk about what an amazing wedding days they had had while wearing it, so I thought it would bring me luck if I did too.
'And I was right as our wedding day was perfect and wearing the dress made it even more special.'
It was on June 11th this year when graphic designer Allison married graduate student Chris Rinaldi in St Louis, wearing the same dress as three generations of her women in her family had worn before her.
And there to prepare her as she squeezed into her historic dress was mum Mimi, 55, who had worn the very same dress 29 years before on the 5th June 1982.
Happy times: Allison's aunt Barbara wore the dress on her wedding day too. 'She loved seeing the dress in all its glory again, said Allisonsource: dailymail
