When Veronika “Kika” Lindberg swapped vows with Jukka Heino on September 10, 2022, she wore a one-of-a-kind wedding dress that you can’t find in stores. Instead of browsing bridal salons for her gown, the bride decided to go the nontraditional route by knitting her own wedding dress. “When the thought of knitting my own wedding dress first crossed my mind, I initially thought it would be too stressful, especially since we were moving homes and planning the wedding at the same time," she told Good Morning America. “But, then again, I do love a challenge, and I’m a little bit over-ambitious, and the thought felt so wild and inspiring that I just decided to take the risk and do it.”
When she first started searching for a dress, Lindberg envisioned a specific square neckline, but she couldn’t find one that fit the parameter. Before she knew it, there were only seven weeks before the wedding, so ordering a dress was no longer an option. Instead, the bride bought 5.5 pounds of yarn, announced her decision to knit her getup on Instagram, and got to work.
"I found a few knitted and crocheted dresses from brands Dior and Ulla Johnson online that I felt really inspired by,” she mentioned. “They gave me the confidence that it would be possible to create something really spectacular using knitting. Then, I did my own sketches and tried out what kind of stitch patterns and type of laces I wanted to use. It was important to me that the top was tight fitting and that the skirt part had a really nice drape and luxurious feel, so I spent a lot of time researching to make sure I got the right fabric characteristics."
After 45 days and 250 hours, Lindberg had the final product: a long-sleeve crochet gown that cost less than $300 to create.
Lindberg, who has been knitting since she was six years old, found the process to be a therapeutic way to cope with wedding planning stress, according to Good Morning America. Of course, there were challenging moments too. Among moving homes, publishing a book, and mapping out her big day, the bride found it difficult to carve out time to knit. But, when she did, she said the experience was fulfilling.
From her husband to fans on the internet, the bride received a lot of positive feedback. Throughout her knitting journey, Lindberg documented each step on Instagram and YouTube. "I've received messages from people all over the world, telling me I've inspired them to take up knitting again or to learn it, which makes me so glad,” she expressed. “I’m also proud that I've maybe been able to push the boundaries and show what is possible using knitting."
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