This is me in my wedding gown from years ago.
Wedding Dress options
You found your perfect dress and the ceremony is over. Now what do you do with the dress?
This is a short article to give you some options for the dress. And I want to let you know upfront that I’m not going to discuss the whole “trash the dress” thing. I think that’s ludicrous to spend so much on a dress only to ruin it after the ceremony – even if it might sound like a fun thing to do.
Five options for your dress
- Sell it. Wedding dresses are expensive and some brides can’t afford the extravagant prices. Consider selling it on eBay or Craigslist. You may get a lower price than you would like, but at least it’s something. Another option is preownedweddingdresses.com – an organization that will buy used dresses.
- Donate it. See if a local thrift store would take your dress. Or you can consider bridesacrossamerica.com. This is an organization that provides free wedding dresses to military veterans and first responders.
- Retool it. Consider taking it to a seamstress to get it shortened and turned into a lovely cocktail dress that you might be able to wear again to a special event.
- Store it. I think this is probably what most women do. They have the dress cleaned and packed away in a special box. Then the box gets stored in a store room, attic or closet and remains there for years to come. That’s what I did. While the dress just takes up space and isn’t put to further good use, it is nostalgic and can bring back happy memories from a happy day. I remember as a child seeing my mother’s wedding dress hanging on a hanger in a closet. It was a special thing to see.
- Keep it on a hanger and put it on again once and awhile. Granted, it may not fit perfectly years later, but think how much fun you would have if you get that dress out once a year and put it on. It could bring back lots of happy memories.
So there you go. A few wedding dress options that may give you some ideas as you decide what to do with your gown after the ceremony.