Grandmother Left in Tears After Bride Makes Surprising Move at Rehearsal Dinner (Exclusive)

When 1 bride-to-be stepped retired astatine her rehearsal dinner, she wasn’t wearing conscionable immoderate dress, but a portion of family history. 

Choosing to astonishment her grandmother, Olivia Turi donned a somewhat altered type of her mother’s original wedding gown, preserving its astir delicate details. 

The affectional uncover successful beforehand of St. Vincent Ferrer Church successful New York City left her grandma stunned and profoundly touched.

“My grandma recognized it instantly,” Turi, 25, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “She was wholly blown distant and hasn’t stopped crying since. It was specified a powerful infinitesimal for each of us.”

Her grandma stood successful stunned soundlessness connected nan religion steps, momentarily flooded pinch emotion. As she took successful her granddaughter’s beauty, tears filled her eyes, moved by nan show of nan beloved dress that held decades of cherished memories.

Turi’s mother sewage joined successful July 1996, astatine Russo’s connected nan Bay successful Queens, N.Y. Nearly 30 years later, her dress was brought backmost to life aft a thoughtful reconstruction by Lauren Holovka astatine Le Laurier Bridal.

Rather than hemming nan dress, Holovka designed a system bustle that maintained its original silhouette while giving it immoderate flair. The translator near some Turi’s grandma and mother successful awe. 

“[Our mother] was affectional successful each nan champion ways,” Turi’s younger sister, Gabrielle Martinelli, reveals. “It had ever been her dream that 1 of america would deterioration her gown, truthful seeing Olivia successful it brought everything afloat circle.”

The New Jersey autochthonal plans to transportation nan contented forward, passing it down to Martinelli and, eventually, down to her early children. “It’s officially a generational heirloom now,” Martinelli says. 

Turi tied nan knot connected May 17, 2025, astatine The Pierre, A Taj Hotel successful N.Y.C. Although she wore 2 different dresses connected her wedding day, she was grateful to person had nan opportunity to incorporated her mother’s dress into her typical moments.  

Wearing nan cherished family gown, moreover briefly, created a powerful representation crossed 3 generations.