Ella Pangilinan Wore Mom Maricel Laxa's Wedding Gown To Her Wedding And The Story Behind It Made Us Cry

Ella Pangilinan, daughter of Maricel Laxa and Anthony Pangilinan, wed Enrique Miranda on December 6, 2023 and today her wedding gown designer Rajo Laurel shared the touching story behind her dress.

"It's not everyday that one gets to wear her mother's wedding dress for her own wedding," Rajo tells on his Instagram account. Rajo and Maricel were childhood classmates and he has known the bride "almost all her life", describing Ella as the "little girl who would acocompany her mother to me as we would draw together on my desk" in a different post. 

"She would always accompany her mother to my studio and I recall her fascination for fashion and love for design."

Maricel's bridal gown was made by Philippine National Artist Jose "Pitoy" Moreno and during the planning stages of the wedding, Rajo tells that Maricel would bring out her gown when the mother and daughter duo first met him for a consultation.

Designer Rajo Laurel goes on to detail his vision for the bridal gown, sharing the pleasant privilege he felt that the little girl who would be accompanying her mother to his atelier would one day become his bride.

Wearing your mother's wedding gown is a bridal tradition that is not popularly followed these days for various reasons, whether it is because the bride is no longer able to reuse her mom's dress or a difference in personal style. To see this family tradition observed, plus a parallel story in the two great Filipino designers involved in the creation of the gowns, is touching. It reminds us of the legacy parents can leave their children while also reminding us that our children will inevitably one day grow up and live out their own beautiful milestones. 

Maricel sums it up in her reply to Rajo, "Thank you for the honor your have given Tito Pitoy and his creation and now this for my daugthers to cherish."

Passing on the gown from one generation to another in this day and age is special enough but as Rajo replies to Ella, perhaps the tradition can continue. "The privilege and pleasure was truly all mine! Perhaps we should save it for the next generation?"

Would you pass on your wedding gown to your child like Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan? Read this story on how she teaches her kids to stay grounded.