Bride-to-Be Seeking Out Her Mother’s Handmade ‘Heirloom’ Wedding Dress After It Was Mistakenly Donated

Symone Gilbert of Cranston, Rhode Island, knows exactly what she wants to wear on her wedding day: her mother’s wedding dress — a handmade gown sewn by her great-grandmother. The dress is a treasured family heirloom, and when it was mistakenly donated to a local thrift store, Gilbert decided she wouldn’t stop until she found it.

Two weeks ago, Gilbert helped her mother clean out and declutter the basement where the dress had been stored, she told 10 WJAR.

“My mom had been going through piles, keep, donate, trash, and I just think there was a lot going on,” she said. In the rush of sorting, the wedding dress ended up in the donation pile.

Three days after dropping off the items, the family realized what had happened. When they contacted the thrift store, Gilbert was told the dress had already been sold.

In photos shared with 10 WJAR, Gilbert’s mother is shown wearing a long-sleeved, silky gown with a dropped waist, an A-line skirt, puffed shoulders, and a deep V neckline. She paired it with a voluminous veil and carried a white-and-pink bouquet.

Gilbert is determined to create that same moment for herself — dress included. Her wedding is planned for December 2026, giving her time to track it down. She says she’s willing to buy it back if that’s what it takes.

“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.”