Bride-To-Be Gets Out Mom’s 33-Year-Old Wedding Dress—Decides To ‘Cut It Up’

A bride-to-be has gone viral on TikTok after unboxing her mother’s 33-year-old wedding gown—and revealing her plans to “cut it up” for her own rehearsal dress.

In a video shared by Karissa Setran, she documented the moment she and her mom retrieved the dress that had been preserved for over three decades to find it in stunning condition. Since the video was posted, it has received over 330,000 views. Setran, 25, spoke to Newsweek about what it means to her to repurpose an item that has meant so much to her mother.

In the video, the excitement grew as Setran’s mother began to unbox the gown, expressing concern over its condition after decades of storage. “Apparently, it’s not white anymore,” she said about the discolored exterior box. “Oh, my gosh. That’s not a white box.”

But as they pulled out the old dress, hope was restored. The dress was pristine.

From 1992 to 2025

Setran explained to Newsweek how much it means to her to be able to wear the dress that represents her parents’ decades of marriage—and what it means to her mother, too.

“She has always talked so highly of her dress and how much she loved it,” Setran said.

The gown was originally purchased in the spring of 1992, and was the first one her mom tried on.

“She knew it was ‘the one’ the second she put it on and she didn’t need any alterations to it, outside of having the bustle done,” Setran said. “I wanted to wear something that was a memorial to my parents’ wedding and their beautiful relationship.”

While Setran’s mom initially loved the idea of her daughter wearing the dress in some capacity, she felt hesitation shortly after the video was filmed.

“In the immediate hours after actually unboxing the dress, she started feeling very nostalgic and wondered if cutting it up was the right decision,” Setran said. “Upon further reflection, she knew it was her only desire to have me transform the dress into something I could wear and love.”

To fully support the transformation, her mother even gave her a symbolic and touching gift. “To assure me that she was absolutely sure this is what she wanted to see happen, she gave me a dozen white roses and a card that expressed that she was saying, ‘yes to the dress,'” Setran said.

The 2026 bride hasn’t begun alterations yet, but is planning to start the process with her mother soon. “The plan is to have it be a surprise,” she added. “The next time she will see her dress will be the day of my wedding rehearsal, transformed into a whole new look.”

Setran said the whole experience has been deeply emotional and meaningful.

“Sharing this dress will be so special and I know she’s going to cry tears of joy,” she said. “My mom and I have always been close and I’m grateful to call her my best friend.”