- Alyssa Hevern dyed her
wedding dress black just three months before herwedding . - She dyed the
dress at home using hot water, vinegar, and all-purpose dye. - Hevern posted a
TikTok of her dyeing the dress that got over 18 million views.
For many brides, staining their
Although colorful gowns have started trending in the bridal world, white and off-white dresses are still the most popular option for weddings, leaving brides in fear of spills or blemishes on their gowns.
But that wasn't the case for Alyssa Hevern, a South Dakota bride who decided to dye her wedding dress black three months before her big day in August.
Hevern, 22, told Insider she wasn't interested in a traditional wedding as she started planning her nuptials.
"We have many different and traditional quirks planned throughout our wedding and hope our guests enjoy them like we do," she told Insider.
She bought a $500 white wedding dress from The Bridal Gallery for the nuptials with her mom last year, but Hevern explained in a TikTok that she always had always intended to wear a black wedding dress.
"Black has always spoke volumes to me," she said in the video. "I feel most confident when I wear it. I also do not believe that black symbolizes death or funerals, and I wholeheartedly believe anybody should be able to choose whatever color that they want to wear at their wedding."
@alyssajeannnn 8/13/21 cannot come soon enough less than 90 days! @anna.behning #darkandmoody #fridaythe13th #blackweddingdress #weddingtiktok
♬ The Good Ones - Gabby Barrett
"The idea of me wearing black is nothing new," Hevern went on to say. "We had planned our entire ceremony and reception around the idea that I was wearing black. We chose a dark and moody theme with elegance."
The couple's wedding date - August 13 - falls on a Friday, so the dress fits with the traditionally supertitious date as well.
"I was very inspired by the aesthetic, the confidence I gained while wearing a black dress, and the opportunity to make the dress completely my own," Hevern told Insider.
Hevern said in a separate video that she did not buy a black dress to begin with because they're expensive. It made more sense to buy a more affordable white gown and dye it, she said.
Hevern dyed the dress at home on her own using hot water, vinegar, and Rit all-purpose dye. A three-pack of the dye costs $21.50 on Amazon. Hevern's mom bought her the dye and other supplies she needed to dye the dress, as she said in a TikTok.
Hevern dyed the dress in a plastic tub, let it sit in a color-protective fixative in a separate tub, and rinsed it in her shower.
She documented the process in a TikTok video, which has over 18 million views since it was posted on May 12.
@alyssajeannnn I decided to dye my wedding dress black 3 months before my wedding!!! #blackweddingdress #weddings #tiedye #darkandmoody #fridaythe13th
♬ How You Like That - Black
She said she had to dye the dress three times, as it didn't have the color she was looking for after just one attempt.
For instance, after the first round of dye, the dress had a green tint.
@alyssajeannnn I’m posting these live! Can’t rush the process!! but OMG##blackweddingdress ##darkandmoody ##tiedye ##fridaythe13th
♬ Adventure - André Branney
But after the third round, the gown looked just as Hevern had imagined it, she said.
"I am absolutely in awe over the outcome of my dress, and I'm in love with every detail," she said.
"I feel it made my dress so much more than just a wedding dress," she added.
Hevern has posted seven now-viral TikToks about dyeing her wedding dress, updating her followers on the process in real time.
@alyssajeannnn Reply to @liciousloxo it’s definitely the
♬ All The Way Up - Fat Joe & Remy Mastyle that I’m going for. I think she could achieve darker colors if she dyed it more. I dyed 3 times
The videos offered a guide to other brides who want to attempt to dye their dresses, as Hevern shared her step-by-step process for dyeing the dress with viewers.
@alyssajeannnn Answer to @marshaweyrauch also I had two different size tubs! And my shower to rinse the dye! 
♬ Runaway - AURORA
The TikToks became massively popular.
While Hevern's first post about the dress was the most viewed of the series, her additional videos about the gown have between one and five million views apiece.
@alyssajeannnn Drum roll please I hope it was worth the wait ##blackweddingdress ##darkandmoody ##MAKEYOURMOVE ##fridaythe13th
♬ Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf
Since she shared the videos about her wedding dress, Hevern has also posted videos about other elements of her wedding she DIY-ed, like her centerpieces.
@alyssajeannnn Some of the things I’ve DIYd for my wedding ##diy ##darkandmoody ##fridaythethirteen ##wedding ##blackweddingdress
♬ Touch Down 2 Cause Hell - Hd4president
"I am completely mind blown by the massive response to my TikTok videos," Hevern said. "The support I have received is outstanding."
"We are so excited and appreciative," she added, speaking of herself and her fiancé, Taylor Johns, with whom she has two children.
Hevern told Insider that Johns had not seen her dress or the videos at the time of writing, though he did know Hevern dyed the gown.
"August 13, 2021, cannot come soon enough," Hevern said.