Bride chops wedding gown and transforms it into honeymoon dress: 'Chop it girls'

Weddings are expensive affairs and wedding dresses are usually one of the items that can burn a hole in a couple's budget. They are rarely worn beyond the wedding day, which is sad, especially considering the amount of money spent on them. However, one bride decided that she was going to get more out of her wedding dress and converted it into a cocktail dress. While most preserve their wedding dress as it is, Taylor Popik—a practicing attorney and lifestyle content creator—got crafty with it and cut her wedding gown to make a dress for her honeymoon, reported Good Morning America. The video posted on TikTok went viral, garnering more than 3.8 million views. "You have been CHOPPED!" she captioned the video. 

Popik is based in New York City and also pens "The Wellness For Life" blog. She found an amazing Tony Ward gown that was exclusive to Kleinfeld Bridal. She bought it after her first try-on appointment and wore it for her wedding last year. The wedding dress is covered in beading and floral applique and cost more than $5,000. She had told her followers that she planned to cut the mermaid gown and she followed through with it. She converted the dress into a mini cocktail dress for her honeymoon in Italy. "This is your sign to CHOP IT girls!!!" she wrote, encouraging others to make more of their wedding dresses as well. Many preserve their wedding dress with the intention of passing it down. Popik's mother had done the same but she realized that the dress didn't hold together given the time that had passed, and that's when she decided to take a pair of scissors to her wedding dress. Popik said it was unlikely that her daughter, if she has one, will want to wear her 35-year-old wedding dress. 

Her followers pleaded with her to share more pictures of the new dress and she obliged. "I shared the process with my audience because I always encourage them to do what feels right for them, and this was an example of that for me," said Popik. After the videos went viral, some even asked her if she had any plans on how to use the leftover material from the bottom half of the gown. "It's been really special to connect with women around the world, to hear their stories, and to discuss other sustainable ways I can re-purpose the rest of the fabric I have left from the dress," said Popik. She has received a host of suggestions including making dresses for [stillborn infants] and other charitable causes. "I hope that I can inspire other women to always do what feels right for them, even if it goes against the grain of societal expectations," she said. "If even one bride re-purposes her wedding gown so that she can wear her sentimental dress while creating new special memories, I'll be happy."

Many lauded her for the idea while some gave suggestions on what else she could do with the remaining material. "For your daughter use the extra pieces for baptism, first bday, hanker-chief, etc! Could do some fun things with extra material 😍😍," said one user. "You should take a trip on your anniversary every year and wear this dress on every anniversary trip. Save the pictures for a ten-year compilation," added another user. "Love this idea! Now how do I convince my husband to take me on an annual anniversary trip 😍," she joked.