Wedding Dress After Wedding

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Shybride2016

Heaven Damaged Graphology wrote: »

Hi Ladies,

I'm just wondering what everyone did/will do with their dress after the wedding. My wedding was 3 weeks ago and my dress is just sitting there taking up room. I want to get rid of it. I was looking into it and I was thinking I wanted to donate it to the Irish Neonatal Health Alliance to be made into angel gowns for babies who die prematurely. My husband thought it was a good idea if I wanted to, but when I told my mother she practically screamed at me no don't your putting a curse on the dress I wouldn't do it. Sounds like the biggest load of ****e I've ever heard but now its kind of put me off doing it. I don't really see the issue though.

Everyone keeps telling me to sell it but I honestly couldn't be bothered. If I even ever manage to sell it, I could be stuck with it for ages. A girl I work with said her friend just sold hers 2 years later. I really don't want it sitting around for that long. Who would even buy it anyway, I had to get a 14 to fit my hips but the rest of the dress from the waist up was all taken in to a 10 and I'm so short so who would it even fit, plus theres a tiny pull in the lace in the sleeve, that would bother me. Maybe it's just because I wouldnt buy a second hand dress, but I cant see anyone wanting it. Plus I'm not paying 100-200 to clean something I'll never wear again. I'm not sentimental so I'm not keeping it, and I don't want to give it to Barnardo's Bridal or anything because very little of that goes back to the Charity. I'd honestly rather throw it away over selling it, does anyone have any other suggestions?

Hi Heaven Damaged Graphology,

Congrats on your wedding first of all, hope you had a fantastic day!

I got married last year (1st anniversary in a few weeks can't believe it!) and I donated my dress to the INHA.

No disrespect to your mum but a curse on a dress sounds absolutely bonkers! I used to work in a NICU and so would have come across a lot of bereaved families of little babies that never made it home. When I found out about donating dresses, I just thought it was a beautiful idea and I know that families really appreciate having one less thing to think about at such an awful time.

Like you, even before my wedding I knew I didn't want to keep my dress. Among other reasons, it caused me no end of hassle right up until the morning of my wedding so it held absolutely no sentimental value to me.

I contacted the INHA and they were absolutely lovely. The dresses don't need to be cleaned or in perfect condition as the dressmakers can work around any faults. I kept a piece of lace off the top of my dress which I got made into a cushion.

If I were you I would do what you want to do with the dress, it's yours and if you feel you want to donate it then absolutely go for it and don't listen to anyone else. I know a few people thought I was being morbid but I didn't care, I feel I did the right thing and that's what mattered most to me.

D0NNELLY

Sorry I'm not a lady, but my wife's dress was dry cleaned and put away for sentential reasons.

If one of the kids wants it in years to come, all the better.

Edit, just to comment on the dress curse. That's nonsense. If you want to donate it to inha, that's a nice thing to do for people in the hardest time of their lives.

eviltwin

That's a lovely idea to donate it and the curse thing is just bonkers. Plenty of people use a pre loved wedding dress - I was baptised and made my communion in one - and nothing happens.

I still have mine, I'm 9 years married this year and I can't bear to part with it.

rainbowtrout

Heaven Damaged Graphology wrote: »

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If you want to give your dress to INHA then just go and do it. You don't need anyone's approval to do so. It's just a piece of clothing at the end of the day. Your mother screaming about it being cursed if you do so is just nuts. Just donate it and say nothing to her, if it's going to cause unnecessary drama.

Ghekko

I recently sent mine to A Little Lifetime Foundation who have started making gowns for babies who die. As my own baby died some years ago I was thrilled when I learned they were doing this.

Neyite

How can showing kindness, generosity, and compassion be a curse?

Your wedding dress is representative of you and him becoming a family -with or without kids. To donate that dress and what all represents to other families in their time of extreme suffering I would see (if I was superstitious) as a wonderful gesture that deserves to attract good luck/ karma to the bride who is donating and her groom.

I think it's a beautiful idea.

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lazygal

I kept mine. I'm not very sentimental but I remember when I got engaged we took out my mother's wedding dress and had a great time talking about her wedding. Her mother's beautiful 1940s pink silk suit she wore when she got married was used for dressing up clothes and she regretted not keeping it. I have a daughter now and if and when she wants to see the dress we can dig it out and have a laugh. We're not catholic so it wasn't ever going to be a communion dress or used for a christening robe. I wouldn't have gotten much for selling it either. I got it cleaned in our local dry cleaners for about €60 I think and bought a box and acid free paper for about €20 and 'preserved' it for way less than some places charge. I don't believe in good or bad luck, I believe in making your decisions based on what suits you.

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lazygal

Have you tried a standard dry clean? I know someone who turned her dress inside out and washed it in a duvet cover on a delicate setting. Came up perfect.

BetsyEllen

I'm delighted I found this thread.
My dress has been in my wardrobe for 6 years and I didn't know what to do with it.

I had no idea you could donate then to be made into baby gowns, that is so lovely - I'm definitely going to do this with mine.

Thanks so much for the info.

January

lazygal wrote: »

Have you tried a standard dry clean? I know someone who turned her dress inside out and washed it in a duvet cover on a delicate setting. Came up perfect.

This is what I would do.

Ghekko

lazygal wrote: »

Have you tried a standard dry clean? I know someone who turned her dress inside out and washed it in a duvet cover on a delicate setting. Came up perfect.

I did this - it wasn't a bulky dress. It had sequins all over it on a kind of net layer. It came out perfectly.

FightingIrish

Great idea to donate it!

My wife kept hers and then when the first of our 2 daughters were born she had a dressmaker make a christening gown out of it, it was a brilliant idea and the christening gown was amazing, everybody raved about it, our second daughter has also now worn it for her christening too, it's now up for safe keeping.

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lazygal

Yes, into her washing machine and dried on a hanger in the spare room. She figured it wasn't a designer dress, she wasn't going to sell it or wear it so why not.
I signed a disclaimer with my local dry cleaner, so I'd have no comeback if anything went wrong. It didn't and job done.

mirrorwall14

I got mine converted into a babtismal gown. Both sides had gowns and there would have been war choosing. My grandmother left me about 250 in her will and it cost me 320 to convert. I adore it. I love that it was my dress and that it was done with granny's money for memory

LynnGrace

Lovely idea, OP. I am sure such donations are greatly appreciated.
Take no notice of what your mother says.

Dial Hard

Heaven Damaged Graphology wrote:

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I washed my dress at home, stuffed into two pillowcases and on a handwash cycle; it came out absolutely fine.

Also, what's the risk if you never plan on wearing it again anyway???

Miaireland

I would donate the dress. Tell your Mom that you have given the dress to a friend if she is going to be upset. I think it is a lovely kind thing tk donate your dress.