An 83-year-old grandmother burst into tears as she saw her granddaughter wearing her wedding gown on her own special day.

Chrissie Mellett, 29, and Chris Allingham, 30, married in an intimate ceremony on April 5 at St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in River Edge, New Jersey. Denis and Patricia Lynch, the bride’s grandparents, attended the ceremony and were moved by Chrissie’s decision to wear Patricia’s 62-year-old wedding dress.

“You will never know how much you filled my heart with love and appreciation today,” Mellett’s grandma told her after the ceremony. “I appreciate it more now for you than I did for me when I was 21 years old.”

Denis and Patricia, both 83, married at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Michael in Palisades Park on April 20, 1963, when they were 21 years old. Patricia dressed for the wedding in a floor-length gown with long sleeves, a scoop neckline, flower appliques, and silk buttons down the back.

She purchased the gown that year from Roses Bridal Shoppe, which was located within the Bergen Mall in Paramus. It cost between $400 and $500, which was a high price for the time period due to the dress’s silk and peau de soie materials.

“My great-grandmother (my grandmother’s mother) was a seamstress,” Mellett tells PEOPLE. “My grandmother stated she really helped her create the clothing. She was pulling all the strings and directing the dressmaker exactly what she wanted on it and where”.

Mellett had “fun” trying on her mother and grandmother’s wedding outfits around a year ago. Several decades of preservation had left the gowns “wrinkled and a little worn,” yet they remained “absolutely stunning.”

“We were all laughing as I tried them on — they didn’t quite fit because both my mom and grandmother are tiny — but it was such a sweet, fun thing to do together before I officially started shopping for a dress,” says Mellett, who will celebrate her second wedding on April 26 at the Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes. “We didn’t think much of it at the time, but I recall how lovely my grandmother’s outfit looked on me. It exudes a timeless, classic elegance that is uncommon nowadays.”

“The moment I put the dress on, I couldn’t stop smiling,” she says. “It fit perfectly, and I felt so elegant and beautiful in it.”

When Mellett and Allingham decided to do a church wedding before their bigger wedding, the bride “immediately knew” she wanted to wear her grandmother’s bridal gown “for that special moment.”

“I knew it would mean so much to her—and it would give both her and my poppy a chance to relive their wedding day, all these years later,” says Mellett.

The garment underwent very few adjustments to “preserve the original style as much as possible.” Mellett’s bust needed to be loosened somewhat to suit her figure properly, and she removed the petticoat from below the skirt to give the dress a more A-line shape.

“Once we made those adjustments, the dress fell longer and just grazed the floor — it fit perfectly,” said Mellett. “I wanted to honor the way my grandma wore it on her wedding day and keep it as similar as possible, while also feeling like myself!”

Mellett did not inform Denis or Patricia that she had chosen the attire for her church service. They didn’t realize what she was going to wear until she invited them to her parents’ new townhouse in Harrington Park for group shots before the wedding.

“My grandparents had no idea I would be wearing it — it was a complete surprise,” Mellett remembers. “Before stepping down the steps, I was overcome with feelings ranging from excitement to nervousness. “I couldn’t wait to show my grandmother!”

Mellett shared a TikTok video of her grandparents’ reactions as she came down the stairs in her wedding attire. They glanced at her, shocked, before becoming emotional and embracing her.

“It took my grandmother only a second to recognize that it was her outfit. She asked me, ‘Chrissie, is that my dress?’ Then we both started sobbing,” Mellett says. “I think everyone in the room burst into tears at that time. When my poppy discovered it, emotions took control, and we all started sobbing and hugging. It was a moment I’ll cherish and never forget.”

Mellett now intends to maintain the clothing like her grandma did.

“As the oldest of five siblings and eight grandchildren — and the first to get married — there’s something really special about being the first to carry on this tradition,” says the bride’s grandmother.

Mellett continues, “Maybe one of my sisters or relatives will want to wear it, too. Mellett continues, “Perhaps one of my sisters or relatives may wish to wear it as well. Alternatively, if I am fortunate enough to have children and grandchildren, I hope the dress will become a cherished part of our family’s love story.”

@chrissiem3 Surprising my grandma in her wedding dress is a moment I’ll never forget. Letting her and my poppy relive their wedding day 62 years later 🤍🥹 April 20, 1963 April 5, 2025 #wedding #weddingdress #grandma #bestsurprise ♬ Slipping Through My Fingers – ABBA