What did you do with the dress after the wedding?

Knottie03777613 · June 2015

I'm debating what to do with my dress now that the wedding is over. I definitely don't just want it hanging in the closet. My husband and I aren't planning on having kids so I doubt there'd be anyone to pass it down. I know the right thing to do would be to donate it, but I also had a thought...what if I did a destroy the dress thing but with like all my friends? For example, everybody could paint on it or sign it or something. Not only would the pictures be cool, but it'd be a great way to have all my friends together again.

Right now I have NO plans what to do with it, so I'm curious to know - what did you do with your dress after the wedding?

aliwis000 · June 2015

If you for sure do not want to keep your dress I vote for donating it. There are so many worthy causes that would love to have it. Or if your favorite charity would not be able to take the dress itself you could always sell it and donate that money to your charity.

Everyone is different and it is your dress to do whatever you want with but I was never a fan of the "trash the dress" idea. It just seemed so wasteful. But once again, it is yours to do what you want with. I will say if you do decide to do a photo shoot trash the dress keep it with you and the new husband. I think inviting people over would seem kinda AWish.

There are also tons of other options out there for re purposing the dress. You can use the fabric for almost anything, from a pillow to a quilt to anything you can think of!

AddieCake · June 2015

It's hanging in the closet of the friend we stayed with when we first moved and were looking for a house. I keep forgetting it's there.

Knottie03777613 · June 2015

@aliwis000 I'm sorry but I don't know what AWish means...

I took my dress to get cleaned yesterday because I still don't know what to do with it, and I figured that was the first step. He said the turnaround time was about 90 days, so I have a little while longer to decide but then I'll need to decide if I want it boxed up/preserved. Of all the options I find that the most wasteful, because if I trash it at least I'll get cool pictures (selfish, but still), and if I donate it or repurpose it then it can be used again and again...

kvruns · June 2015

Id try to resell or donate. I just don't get the point of trashing the dress. And I definitely wouldn't pay to clean it if I'm then ruining it

[Deleted User] · June 2015

Knottie03777613 said:
@aliwis000 I'm sorry but I don't know what AWish means...
I took my dress to get cleaned yesterday because I still don't know what to do with it, and I figured that was the first step. He said the turnaround time was about 90 days, so I have a little while longer to decide but then I'll need to decide if I want it boxed up/preserved. Of all the options I find that the most wasteful, because if I trash it at least I'll get cool pictures (selfish, but still), and if I donate it or repurpose it then it can be used again and again...

AW stands for attention whore.

Knottie03777613 · June 2015

Ah. Well I definitely wouldn't want to come across that way! One of my BMs actually suggested the trash the dress idea. I think I might try to see how much it would cost to cut it short and dye it so I can wear it again. I'm leaning towards that or donating it.

quirkybride15 · July 2015

Our honeymoon was three months after the wedding, so we carted our wedding clothes (he had a tux custom made) over to London and had a "honeymoon photo shoot" over there. It was great because it gave me a chance to wear my dress one more time, and I actually styled it a little differently than I did for my wedding. My dress came with a detachable flower thingy, so I threw that on for the shoot. It was so much fun!

I plan on getting my dress preserved, but it's so expensive that I'm waiting until I have the money. But I do want to keep forever and always.

Heffalump · July 2015

I threw it in a Rubbermaid tote and was done with it. It's in the garage now.

I thought about donating it, but didn't want to part with it. I don't harbor any illusions that DD will want it someday, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it.

randomslove · July 2015

Pretty sure I'll hold on to my dress for a few years, until I have a kid. If I have a girl I'll probably hold on to it. If I have a boy, I'll donate it.

I don't know if you've been on the receiving end of charity before, but it's pretty amazing when you find something you can love. Usually people just donate the ugly sweater grandma gave them that's been sitting there for years, the inherited 1980s wedding dress, the outdated sundress... If you donate, someone will find your dress to be an enormous blessing.

Knottie03777613 · July 2015

@quirkybride15 haha we did the exact opposite - stashed the dress at home as we drove up to our honeymoon the day after the wedding. I wish I had thought of that beforehand, although luggage might've been a problem. We went to Iceland - lava field wedding pics would've been so cool...maybe I'll just hold on to it for the next trip

darthgurl · September 2015

I had my dress sitting in the closet for 6 and a half years. I kept putting off getting it preserved but I finally did it when I found out we were moving. I pulled the dress out and noticed some stains and yellowing. I researched a lot of places and ended up going with the Affordable Preservation Company . They seemed the most Hassel free and had good reviews. I was a little worried I might not get the dress back before we moved but much to my supreme it came a couple of weeks faster then expected. The dress looked beautiful and the whole process was easy and pretty inexpensive. The company did a great job keping me informed of where my dress was as well. Definitely recommend them!

charlottesmom0626 · September 2015

I got my dress cleaned the day after the wedding, because i loved it so damn much I couldn't let it just sit around with dirt, food, grass, etc. on it.

I had a few thoughts:

Sell it. Because even second hand it's worth a lot of money...but I don't want to get rid of it yet.

Second idea: when/if my best girlfriends from high school also get married, have a photo shoot together of us in our dresses. Not trashing them, just a fun girly shoot together.

Last idea: I read an article about a woman who put on her wedding dress every year on her anniversary, just because. Some years it wouldn't zip, some years it was a little big, once she was pregnant, but she'd just put it on (or try) anyway to walk around the house and celebrate with her husband. Her dress reminded her of that day, and her vows, and it just seemed beautiful to me. I'm not usually sentimental, but I'd really love to wear my dress again, and wearing it once a year seems awesome.

mattycam · September 2015

I cleaned and preserved mine as well. I don't have any plans for it...I have thought of renting it out and have the person just pay for the dry cleaning.

Knottie0192360 · September 2015

If you decide to preserve it, Affordable Preservation Company was great! They were fast, easy to work with, affordable (obviously), and offer a nice service. I didn't want to leave my gown hanging in the closet—it takes up so much space and I didn't want it to age. In the box, it's something I can look at when I'm feeling sentimental and it keeps the dress in good shape. Good luck!

KatieEmilyC · September 2015

I brought mine on our honeymoon to Orlando. We stayed at a Disney resort on the Epcot lake so I decided we'd get baked goods and watch the fireworks from a bench\ while wearing our wedding clothes. We ate at an Italian restaurant beforehand and my husband told our waitress our plan and she said the view wouldn't be good and she'd try to think of a better place for us to see them. They ended up arranging to put Epcot tickets on our magic bands, we ran to the room and then Epcot, someone took us to a good location, and we watched the fireworks from inside Epcot in our wedding clothes. Truly magical. We close on our house tomorrow so I'm going to wear it again for a picnic in our new home.

Knottie1445540576 · October 2015

Knottie1445540576 · October 2015

I decided to get my gown preserved so that I can pass it down to future generations. I do hope that one day, my daughter or granddaughter will at least enjoy trying the dress on. I chose the Gown Preservation company after reading positive reviews online. They provided quality and quick service. I was very thankful for their service and how easy it was to get done.

CMGragain · October 2015

I really wish I had donated mine so that it could have been worn by another bride. Who wants a 1976 designer wedding gown with long sleeves,a high neck, and Venise lace? Not my daughter! It is a waste of storage space, but I can't bear to throw it away. It hasn't fit since 1980 (my first baby).

Denise40 · October 2015

My daughter just asked me what I was going to do with my dress after the wedding. I asked her why and she said maybe I could take some of the lace and have something made for her wedding one day. Now, to figure out what I could have made?

ShesSoCold · October 2015

CMGragain said:

I really wish I had donated mine so that it could have been worn by another bride. Who wants a 1976 designer wedding gown with long sleeves,a high neck, and Venise lace? Not my daughter! It is a waste of storage space, but I can't bear to throw it away. It hasn't fit since 1980 (my first baby).

There are several organizations that take donated dresses and make burial gowns for babies with them. I plan to do that with mine and my mother's, if my sister is okay with it.

missa011 · October 2015

Denise40 said:

My daughter just asked me what I was going to do with my dress after the wedding. I asked her why and she said maybe I could take some of the lace and have something made for her wedding one day. Now, to figure out what I could have made?

My sister made a bolero using the lace from my mom's dress, it was beautiful!

eclune · November 2015

I got mine preserved at Affordable Preservation, website: https://www.affordablepreservation.com/. They did a great job! It was super easy and convenient. They mailed a box to me to ship my dress in with prepaid shipping label, all you have to do is drop it off to be mailed! At first I was a little worried about mailing my dress in but after doing it I wouldn't have done it any other way! I have been recommencing them to all my friends and family.

Knottie1448825336 · January 2016

The first time I got married I was already over the age of 30 and had a kid so I didn't feel like wearing a traditional white wedding dress. I wore a very beautiful dress which I knew could also be worn for other formal occasions - I actually still have that dress.

The second time I got married I kinda regretted not doing the white dress thing, so I actually DID the white dress thing. A friend donated me the dress, so I donated it back. . .

If you bought your dress new and it was very expensive you might consider renting it to other brides. Perhaps the app task rabbit or craig's list could help you find someone who could use it and is on a budget -

Username100108 · February 2016

Once my wedding is over, I'm thinking of having my bridesmaids throw neon paint on it for a "trash the dress" shoot, and I will probably frame the dress as I've seen on pinterest after. It will hold even more special memories then because I'm sure it will be a blast "trashing" the dress

OurWildKingdom · February 2016

We're both going to get ours cleaned and either donate them or save them for my SD, any daughters we adopt, or my niece.

[Deleted User] · March 2016

Heffalump said:

I threw it in a Rubbermaid tote and was done with it. It's in the garage now.

I thought about donating it, but didn't want to part with it. I don't harbor any illusions that DD will want it someday, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it.

I don't understand then why you threw it away?

glasgowtolondon · March 2016

Knottie1455576458 said:

Heffalump said:

I threw it in a Rubbermaid tote and was done with it. It's in the garage now.

I thought about donating it, but didn't want to part with it. I don't harbor any illusions that DD will want it someday, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it.

I don't understand then why you threw it away?

She didn't. She threw it in the garage, not the garbage.

[Deleted User] · March 2016

glasgowtolondon said:

Knottie1455576458 said:

Heffalump said:

I threw it in a Rubbermaid tote and was done with it. It's in the garage now.

I thought about donating it, but didn't want to part with it. I don't harbor any illusions that DD will want it someday, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it.

I don't understand then why you threw it away?

She didn't. She threw it in the garage, not the garbage.

Oops! Reading comprehension fail!

What did you do with the dress after the wedding?

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