Beth Chapman’s Daughter Cecily Reveals Why She Won’t Wear Late Mother’s Wedding Dress

Cecily Chapman had hoped to wear her late mother Beth Chapman‘s wedding dress to her own wedding later this year but opted to get a completely new dress. In a recent interview with The Sun, the 27-year-old said she decided not to wear the dress because it would have required significant alterations. So, she picked a new dress that looks similar to the one Beth wore when she married Dog the Bounty Hunter star Duane “Dog” Chapman in 2006.

Last month, Chapman told The Sun she had “second thoughts” about wearing Beth’s dress “because there’s only one dress that’s super beautiful for her and it was custom-made to fit her body.” She said she did not want to alter the dress to the point that her sister Bonnie Chapman could not wear it if she wanted to. “It might be best just to keep it for a keepsake to remember her by, like a piece of memorabilia,” Chapman explained.

Since Chapman decided to get a new dress, she recently went dress shopping, which made her “feel like a queen,” she told The Sun. She also shared photos of herself trying on different dresses, including one that did look similar to one her mom wore. “I’ve got to say it didn’t feel real until I started trying on dresses and really getting the feels for getting married,” Chapman explained. “But I did feel like a queen in every dress I put on. It was definitely exciting and worth going just to make it feel real.”

Chapman plans to marry her fiance Matty on Dec. 1, 2021, in Hawaii. It will be almost three years after they got engaged. They still do not have some of the details worked out, including who will officiate the wedding. She hopes they can get the same preacher who married her parents. They will invite “intimate family and friends from both sides,” depending on the state of the coronavirus pandemic at the end of the year. “We are still debating exactly how many people I can have and keep social distancing in place during the whole event,” she said. “I’m praying that we can have as many people as we can, but I’m okay with having a small wedding if need be for safety reasons.”

Chapman previously told The Sun in November 2020 she wanted to honor her late mother by wearing her wedding dress. Duane even liked the idea. “I always wanted to wear my mom’s dress for my wedding. The day she got married to my dad I thought she looked so beautiful – it was the most beautiful dress I could ever imagine,” she said at the time. “A top designer made it – it’s a stunning dress. It’s a halter neck and very flattering.”

No matter what dress she wears, the wedding looks to be a happy occasion for the Chapman family after a difficult time. Beth died in June 2019 after a battle with throat and lung cancer at age 51. Since then, the family has shared countless tributes to her. Duane is also planning a wedding, as he is engaged to Francie Frane.