At a Glance
- Madeline Richter, 28, received a robe sewn from her mom’s 1993 wedding dress at her Nov. 29 shower in Eden Prairie, Minnesota
- The robe contains a button from late grandmother Sheila Livingston’s glamorous Ivey-Award-night coat
- Richter will wear the heirloom while getting ready for her Feb. 14 Coral Gables, Florida, wedding
- Why it matters: The keepsake fuses three generations of women into one garment the bride plans to pass to a future daughter
Madeline Richter thought the pink gift box at her bridal shower held another kitchen gadget. Instead, she lifted out a silky, sparkly robe that began as her mother’s 1993 wedding dress and now carries a sliver of her late grandmother’s favorite coat.
A Secret Sewn for 30 Years
Robin Livingston-Richter, 61, married on Sept. 5, 1993, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and preserved the gown that entire time. When her daughter announced her engagement, Robin secretly hired a seamstress to transform the dress into a getting-ready robe and slipped one of her own mother’s cherished buttons inside.
- The robe’s lace and beading match the original gown
- A single rhinestone button from Sheila Livingston’s award-night coat is stitched near the heart
- Robin kept the project hidden for months while planning the Nov. 29 shower at Bearpath Golf & Country Club
The Shower Surprise
Guests watched as Robin tearfully read a letter explaining the tradition behind the robe:
> “I wanted to pass on my wedding dress to you… I had my own wedding dress repurposed and made into a robe. And inside the robe is a special piece from one of Nana’s favorite and most glamorous outfits.”
Madeline, who had “truly had no idea,” hugged her mother as onlookers wiped away tears. A TikTok clip of the moment has since gone viral.
Three Generations in One Stitch
Robin says the robe carries forward “the idea of generations of women surrounding Maddie with love.” Sheila Livingston died in 2022; including her coat button ensures she still “wraps” her granddaughter on the wedding morning.
Madeline calls the garment “a piece that incorporates generations of the most important women in my life and is a piece I hope to pass down to my daughter one day.”
Wedding timeline
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Parents’ wedding | Sept. 5, 1993 | St. Louis Park, MN |
| Madeline’s birth | Sept. 5, 1997 | – |
| Bridal shower | Nov. 29, 2024 | Eden Prairie, MN |
| Wedding day | Feb. 14, 2025 | Coral Gables, FL |
Completing the Circle
The robe isn’t the only heirloom Madeline will wear. Her paternal grandfather also presented a necklace once owned by her paternal grandmother, ensuring “from generation to generation” is complete.
The bride will walk down the aisle on Valentine’s Day-the same calendar date her grandmother Sheila became engaged decades earlier.
