What to do with your wedding dress after the big day!

BabysCoffee

What did you do with your dress after your wedding?

Here's a few suggestions of what you could do with it.

Feel free to add more!

1. Get it adapted in to a Christening Gown for your first born (this used to be fairly commonly done - when did it go out of vogue??)

2. Trash the dress photography session

3. Let your kids use it for dressing up

4.Wear it to do the washing up (fun!)

5. Cut it up for crafts

6. Get it cleaned and store it in one of those special boxes in the attic

7. Give it to a charity shop to sell

8. Put it up on eBay

9. Pass it on to your sister to wear (also was commonly done - maybe up til the nineties??)

10. Renew your vows and rewear it!!!

11. Try it on every so often to see that it fits. It's a good guide to any weight loss/gain ;-)

Anyone got anything else?

What did you do with your dress after the big day?

freshpopcorn

You could pass it on to your daugther to get married in.

BabysCoffee

freshpopcorn wrote: »

You could pass it on to your daugther to get married in.

Yes, it could be passed on as a family heirloom.

cookiecakes

I got mine properly boxed and archived. If I have kids, I like the idea of getting a christening gown made from it. If not, I just like the idea of keeping it safe for a few years.

BabysCoffee

I have mine up in my attic currently (not in one of the special boxes).

I had it in the wardrobe for a few years. I enjoyed trying it on from time to time when my friends called for cocktails. My friends tried it on too!! And I put on theirs when I called to their houses. Fun times!

amdublin

Mine was more of a party/prom style dress so I've worn it to two Xmas parties since.

I've tried on my friends (it is kept in her wardrobe) and it was fab! It's Spanish style and I felt like shakira in it lol

BabysCoffee

You could give it to your local performing arts organisation to use as a costume.

xzanti

BabysCoffee wrote: »

2. Trash the dress photography session

3. Let your kids use it for dressing up

5. Cut it up for crafts

6.

I will in my arse!

Ms2011

Gonna have it professionally cleaned & then sell it.

Lukehandypants

I let my husband wear it.

Rosy Posy

I have mine hanging in my bedroom on the outside of my wardrobe as decoration. I have a few other really beautiful but not particularly practical full length vintage dresses on display as well. It means I get to enjoy them every day even though they're not worn very often.

January

Plan on getting it framed and hung on my bedroom wall.

Haven't priced it yet though so could end up costly!

Rosy Posy

January wrote: »

Plan on getting it framed and hung on my bedroom wall.

Haven't priced it yet though so could end up costly!

That would be a massive frame! The glass alone would be ruinous, I'd say!

BabysCoffee

January wrote: »

Plan on getting it framed and hung on my bedroom wall.

Haven't priced it yet though so could end up costly!

Oh wow!!! That's impressive!

Great idea

Faith

I just do not get this 'trash the dress' phenomenon that's currently in vogue. I think it's the epitome of materialism. You spend thousands on a dress for one day, then when you don't want it any more, you destroy it? That prevents anyone else from ever using or admiring it ever again. When you think it could be sold or donated or passed on, or just stored safely as a valued possession, I simply can't understand 'trashing' it.

BabysCoffee

Faith wrote: »

I just do not get this 'trash the dress' phenomenon that's currently in vogue. I think it's the epitome of materialism. You spend thousands on a dress for one day, then when you don't want it any more, you destroy it? That prevents anyone else from ever using or admiring it ever again. When you think it could be sold or donated or passed on, or just stored safely as a valued possession, I simply can't understand 'trashing' it.

I agree. I'm not a fan of it at all. It seems to be very popular in the USA and the trend now has come to Ireland.

Vojera

I got mine cleaned and boxed. I'm not too sure what to do with it now, to be honest.

tinkerbell

I got mine professionally cleaned and have it stored properly in a box. I don't get people just putting it in a ball in the bottom of the wardrobe and leaving it there for yonks and it's still filthy from the wedding day. Just send it to the dry cleaners ffs.

The Princess Bride

I deliberately didn't pick a traditional dress as it's not my thing.
I'd never spend hundreds/thousands on something I wouldn't wear often.
Plus, pale colours make me look sickly as I have sallow skin.
One of my friends had the cheek to ask whether I'd ever wear it again-ha-she who never wore hers again!

I wore it to a dinner dance a few years after the wedding, and my oldest daughter wore it to her debs last year and looked stunning.
It still fits me and I'd wear it again without hesitation.

sunbeam

The Princess Bride wrote: »

I deliberately didn't pick a traditional dress as it's not my thing.
I'd never spend hundreds/thousands on something I wouldn't wear often.
Plus, pale colours make me look sickly as I have sallow skin.
One of my friends had the cheek to ask whether I'd ever wear it again-ha-she who never wore hers again!

I wore it to a dinner dance a few years after the wedding, and my oldest daughter wore it to her debs last year and looked stunning.
It still fits me and I'd wear it again without hesitation.

I've always thought that if I ever get married I wouldn't choose a pale dress either. What colour is your dress?

eviltwin

Mine is boxed in the attic, it will never be used again. My daughter hates it. I think at this stage I should just give it away but I don't know if I can bear to be parted from it.

amdublin

If yours is a two-piece you could dye the top and wear it with trousers/different skirt.

amdublin

Ooh bejaysis! I thought I liked the framing idea when I read it on this thread but then I saw this:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/28077197647404809/

Is it a bit Miss Havisham?! :eek:

amdublin

You could make it into a communion dress?

ABajaninCork

Mine's cleaned and hanging on the wardrobe door. I do have a box for it, which I'll get around to doing some day. I'd love to try on the dress again, but I'm pretty sure it won't fit! :mad:

Occasionally, I'll open the zip and have a peek at the dress to see if it still makes me smile. And it does!

amdublin

My local parish was putting on a production of "my fair lady" and they put out a call for donation of wedding dresses - for the black and white/races scene.
Looked really great!

amdublin

Oooh! I've a great idea! Just came to me!


You could use your dress to make a ring cushion which your daughter could use in her wedding.

BabysCoffee

amdublin wrote: »

You could make it into a communion dress?

amdublin wrote: »

Oooh! I've a great idea! Just came to me!


You could use your dress to make a ring cushion which your daughter could use in her wedding.

They're two nice ideas.

amdublin

eviltwin wrote: »

Mine is boxed in the attic, it will never be used again. My daughter hates it. I think at this stage I should just give it away but I don't know if I can bear to be parted from it.

amdublin wrote: »

You could use your dress to make a ring cushion which your daughter could use in her wedding.

Ring cushion! She will have your dress in your wedding but doesn't have to wear it like.

Vojera

Has anyone here donated theirs? I was considering it but then I heard that the dresses in charity shops aren't actually second-hand but gifts from dress shops, so I wasn't sure if they'd be interested.

BabysCoffee

Vojera wrote: »

Has anyone here donated theirs? I was considering it but then I heard that the dresses in charity shops aren't actually second-hand but gifts from dress shops, so I wasn't sure if they'd be interested.

I'm sure they would be delighted to take a donation of a worn once dress!!

If anyone is thinking of donating their dress, it is probably best to do within 5 years or less of your wedding. That means that it will still be in fashion and it will be snapped up by a grateful bride.

Donating your dress after many years means that it will likely be brought as a prop for a play or as a dressing up outfit (we've all seen the rails of the 1980's dresses in our local charity shop which would be perfect for a Frankenstein's Bride costume!!!)

BabysCoffee

If your daughter wanted to use part of your dress in her wedding she could make a clutch bag with your fabric or a headpiece with the lace.

Boombastic

I dress up in it every day a la Muriels Wedding.. joke!

I did a photo shoot on my horse after the wedding, I certainly didn't pay thousands for it and it's still good, not sure what to with it now

Ms2011

Vojera wrote: »

Has anyone here donated theirs? I was considering it but then I heard that the dresses in charity shops aren't actually second-hand but gifts from dress shops, so I wasn't sure if they'd be interested.

I bought 2 dresses (long story), I gave the first into our local St. Vincent De Paul shop & the woman was delighted

John Mason

i didnt have a traditional white meringue and have worn it a few times since to various functions.

the next outing i think will be to the babies welcome party:)

amdublin

Vojera wrote: »

Has anyone here donated theirs? I was considering it but then I heard that the dresses in charity shops aren't actually second-hand but gifts from dress shops, so I wasn't sure if they'd be interested.

You could ring Oxfam brides on George's Street. I think they do get donations from shops/designers alright but I think they take dresses also.

I think though it would need to be a fairly immediate donation i.e. they don't take 80's style dresses etc
(you can probably give those to an ordinary charity store though, just not the specific bridal charity shop)

amdublin

:eek:

Wow! Make a necklace.

http://www.babble.com/home/25-ways-to-recycle-your-wedding-dress/pendant-necklace/

So pretty!

Gatica

It would break my heart to break up the dress into smaller bits. After coming back from the honeymoon I had it dry cleaned. I got a dress storage bag for it and it's hanging in my OH's wardrobe at his parents'.
No idea what I want to do with it now. I'd like someone else to get the use of it, but preferably my daughter. Then again, she may not like the style...

Neyite

Dressmaking is an amateur interest to me, and I bought a bridal store dress, and spent quite a bit on it. I was blown away by the workmanship that went into dress, and dont think I could cut it up or trash it.

More than likely I'll hold onto it for a few years, maybe trying it on every once in a while but I'd sell it to give another bride the pleasure of wearing it if I wanted rid I think.

BabysCoffee

I think a wedding dress turned in to a lace table cloth would be a great family heirloom.

amdublin

Or a Christmas tree skirt!

carolinespring

Mine is cleaned and boxed. Could never give it away, trash it or cut it up. It is far to special and I still love it.