Wedding Dress - After the big day

holidaytiltomorrow

What to do with your wedding dress after the wedding? How did you make that decision?

I got married about a year ago. My dress has been sitting it the space bag since then, and I have not made a decision on if I want to sell it or just throw it in the back of the closet to keep for when my future children get married. 

justcallmesamson

I had mine cleaned and preserved.  I also haven't decided what to do with it.  I would definitely recommend having yours preserved until you decide just in case you do want to keep it for 20 or 30 years.  It will keep it from turning yellow.  

vmj23

Sadly mine is still sitting in the bag in a spare room since my wedding, almost 7 months ago.  I keep planning on bringing it to get cleaned and preserved but always forget about doing it.   I did put it back on once, when I was home alone, just for the fun of it LOL.  I couldn't lace it up or anything

CMGragain

Mine is still sitting in the bag - for the past 38 years!  My daughter wasn't interested in wearing a dress with sleeves, and it didn't fit her anyway/  I really wished I had donated it to charity when someone would have been able to use it.  I did lend it to an organization for a brides of the past fashion show once.

Knottie11298310

I will treasure it for many years.

CMGragain

Knottie11298310 said:

I will treasure it for many years.

That is what I used to think!

Maggie0829

Mine hung dirty in its bag for a year.  I finally had it cleaned and preserved because I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of it.  For the past 2 years the box has been in the bottom of my closet and is currently being used as a shoe rack.

Maybe one day I will get rid of it or finally cut off the train to put in a shadow box to hang in my home office (the train is covered in crushed chiffon flowers and really pretty) or maybe it will just stay in its box until my niece grows up and wants to try on her Aunts wedding dress for the hell of it.

ahyatt87

It's been 6 months and I still haven't had it cleaned yet. In the new year I'm planning on saving up some money and hiring a seamstress to redesign the dress into a cocktail dress. I have even found a few legit companies that will dye wedding dresses so I can actually wear it again. I figure it's the most expensive article of clothing I own, so I definitively want to get more than one wear out of it again.

climbingsingle

I haven't cleaned mine yet. I'm thinking of maybe saving in a shadow box and hanging on the wall in my closet. 

amelisha

I'm not the sentimental type and I've watched way too much bride TV to think that any hypothetical future child might want to wear it (if I even have kids) so I personally don't see the point of keeping it. After my wedding, I'll see if it's still in good enough shape to donate (we'll be out on the town in Vegas, so I'm not sure if the bottom will survive), donate it if so, and if not, my girlfriends and I are going to do a night where we all go out dancing at our favourite bars in our dresses. And then I will definitely be able to toss it afterwards (unless I decide to get crafty and use part of it as fabric for a throw pillow or something, haha.)

But I didn't buy an expensive dress, and it was partially because I didn't want to feel guilt about wearing it once and then getting rid of it. It's a $600 dress I got on clearance for $99, so it doesn't matter much.

atlastmrsg

Can't wait to sell it.  It was really expensive, but if I get half of purchase price (the goal) back, I'll be able to pay for two plane tickets to honeymoon in Caribbean easily, or get a serious headstart on the two to Morocco.

I felt a lot of guilt when I didn't want to use my mom's wedding dress, or any of the pieces (fabric, veil, mantilla for veil, etc.)  She had a long sleeve, empire waist, turtleneck high ivory gown from the 1970s.  She's also 5'3".  I'm 5'8" and had no love for the dress.  But she kept it for me and wanted me to at least try it on.  I don't want to put that kind of pressure on any daughter if we have kids.  She should pick what gown makes her happy.

Anyone want a gorgeous Lazaro?  

KatWAG

I swore I would donate mine. I dont need it and its just taking up space.

But after the wedding I developed an unreasonable attachment to it.

So I had it cleaned and preserved and its sitting in a spare closest.

I hope one day I can bare to part with it.

I plan to keep my veil, so that if I have a daughter so can have a small piece of my wedding dress, if she wants it.

kkskidder

I will probably preserve mine and put in shadow box but an idea for others if they don't want to keep it, there is a orginazation that takes wedding dresses and turns them into burial outfits for babies.

ElcaB

Mine is still in its bag from my wedding two months ago. I plan on getting it cleaned & trying to sell it. 

KatWAG

kkskidder said:

I will probably preserve mine and put in shadow box but an idea for others if they don't want to keep it, there is a orginazation that takes wedding dresses and turns them into burial outfits for babies.

I dont know why but that creeps me out.

VulgarGirl

I wore mine to my wife's office Christmas party. 

Non traditional wedding dress for the win!

Maggie0829

KatWAG said:

kkskidder said:

I will probably preserve mine and put in shadow box but an idea for others if they don't want to keep it, there is a orginazation that takes wedding dresses and turns them into burial outfits for babies.

I dont know why but that creeps me out.

I agree.  Couldn't tell you why though.

ETA:  Meaning I can't tell you why it creeps me out, not why I agree with you

[Deleted User]

Mine has been cleaned & I tried to sell it but no luck. I went with a champagne colored dress so not the vision that a lot of brides have.

Lowell14

I did donate my dress to be made into Angel Gowns. I knew I would donate it in some way but after our friends lost their baby at 6 months, I knew that I wanted to send my dress to that charity.

littlemushroom

My mom had my dress cleaned for me after the wedding, but we didn't want to pay for preservation. When she went to pick it up, the cleaner had preserved it and out it in a box anyway. They didn't charge her for it, so that was nice.

Right now it is in the box at my mom's house. Not sure what I will do with it. I am not attached to it, but the size and my height mean it would work for very few people if it was donated or sold. So, for now it will stay in the box at my mom's. I am actually more attached to my veil.

CMGragain

When Mother died last year, she had ALL of her wedding dresses, going back to 1947.  The third one was mint green polyester double knit, size 8, from 1970.  (Mom was a size 14 most of her life.)  We threw them in the trash.

Don't let this happen to your beautiful dress.  Donate it or sell it.

southernbelle0915

Mine is still hanging in our library. I go back and forth between donating, selling, cutting up for some momento, cutting up to make baptism gowns for future/maybe kids..... Since I'm still unsure, there it hangs.

Etf spelling

CarolynnS58

I'm not getting married until June, but I'm very much looking forward to keeping my dress. Don't know if I'll ever do anything with it again, but I love it too much to part with it. Also, I came across a really cute idea a few months back while sifting through Pinterest that I can't wait to try: after all your close female friends get married, everyone puts on their wedding dresses for one last photoshoot.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/45950858669035309/

A lot of my close friends are in serious relationships, so it's only a matter of time, and I know we would all be super into the idea.