Much as I love vintage inspired wedding dresses, I can not help but feel more than a little envious of brides lucky enough to wear a truly vintage bridal gown. I get a touch of the green eyed monster every time I gaze upon a bride bedecked in a dress lovingly handed down from their mother or grandmother. Not just for their style but for the glimpse of a love and marriage that lasted half a century or more; and the beautiful stories and memories that accompany such dresses. Not many of us brides are lucky enough to receive, fit and adore a family-heirloom, vintage wedding dress; and whilst scouring ebay, craigslist or Etsy you might stumble across a gem, you are much better off turning to a professional. New Chic Vintage Brides favourite and sponsor Mill Crest Vintage first opened their doors almost 30 years ago…..

Mill Crest Vintage started life in a small boutique in a seaside town just outside Boston in 1985. Today you can find their store in Lambertville, NJ (conveniently situated between New York City and Philadelphia) filled with one of the largest and the most utterly gorgeous  collections of vintage wedding, bridesmaids and mother-of-the-bride dresses you ever will see, quite frankly just the thought of it makes my knees more than a little weak. Just take a peek at some of the dresses in their collection…..

Walking into their boutique would be as close to heaven on earth as you can get for me. The next best thing though is definitely their website! So fear not, if their boutique isn’t just a quick jaunt up the road, Mill Crest Vintage have an online store that currently ships to Canada, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway, and Japan, as well as the US. Whilst they are not able to upload each and every one of the dresses from their boutique, they do have a fabulous selection of whats available on show for you to peruse. Listed with a thoughtfully written and accurate full description, including details of the condition. Should you have any questions or not find exactly what you are looking for online, the team are always happy to answer any questions and have an onsite seamstress to offer professional advice on alternations.

These dresses remind me of those worn by some of my favourite Chic Vintage Brides!

The team at Mill Crest Vintage understand the importance of finding the perfect wedding dress for you and to set the tone  of your big day. “Our brides have a love of vintage and are looking for that perfect dress to express her own personal style.”

To ensure that they bring only the finest in authentic vintage fashion to their brides, each individual piece is hand picked and scrutinized with a discerning eye for detail. Exquisite attention is placed on everything from the quality, cut and fabrication of the item to its overall design. “Our collection of authentic, high quality vintage bridal attire honors styles from every decade over the past 100 years.” And when they say “100 years” they’re not exaggerating…..

Edwardian Wedding Dresses

Edwardian ~ Left, Right

1920s Wedding Dresses

1920s ~ Left, Middle, Right

 1930s Wedding Dresses

1930s ~ Left, Middle, Right

1940s Wedding Dresses

1940s ~ Left, Right

 1950s Wedding Dresses

1950s ~ Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Right

 1960s Wedding Dresses

1960s ~ Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Right

 1970s Wedding Dresses

1970s ~ Left, Middle, Right

Oh my gosh, have you ever seen anything like it? From Edwardian all the way through to the 1990s (but I can’t bring myself to think of anything later than the 1970s as vintage – it makes me feel so old) each glorious dress tells a fashion tale from the era – from the fabulous flappers of the 1920s to the bohemian beauties of the 1970s. And all in such amazing condition, they even have one wedding dress from the Victorian era!

The individual customer experience remains just as much a priority for Mill Crest Vintage as the quality of their gowns. “We want each woman to leave our boutique looking and feeling her very best. The personalized service we offer includes private bridal consultations, held on Monday’s and Tuesdays by appointment, and a professional vintage restoration specialist to assist in achieving the perfect fit.

And this focus on service and customer experience is true whether you pop along to their boutique or their website! “Personalized service is what sets Mill Crest apart from other vintage shops. We are proud to offer our one-of-a-kind, hand selected vintage fashions and textiles in our online boutique with the same personalized service that our customers have come to expect in our Lambertville boutique. We hope you enjoy a truly unique shopping experience.”

I don’t know how anyone could not enjoy the experience of shopping such an incredible collection?! If you have always dreamed of walking down the aisle in a unique wedding dress with the elegance and allure of a past era, and don’t want to settle for vintage inspired; then take a peek at Mill Crest Vintage!

What would be the era of your dream vintage wedding dress? Mine would have to be the Old Hollywood glamour of the 1930s!

Amy

x