What to Do With Your Dress After the Wedding

The dress is such a major part of the wedding day that you may find yourself pondering what to do with it after the festivity has passed. Some select to memorialize it. While others choose to give it a new home or meaning. Here are some options and how to make them happen.

1. Clean

The first step should be having your dress professionally cleaned. There are many dry cleaners that offer this service. But do your research to ensure they are equipped and experienced in wedding dress cleaning.

2. Preserve

Many elect to preserve and store their dress whether they plan to keep it as a memento or save it to pass on to future generations. Preservation companies will clean and apply products to the dress that prevent discoloring and aging of the material. Traditional preservation by a professionally certified company can cost from $200 to $800.

3. Donate

For the bride who wants to make another bride’s day, donating your dress is an excellent option. There are many local and national organizations that make dress dreams come true by giving away dresses or selling them at highly discounted prices. Brides Across America, Wish Upon a Wedding and Fairytale Brides are some examples of nonprofits committed to giving brides their happily ever after dress.

4. Sell

If you find yourself a bit tight on cash after wedding expenses, you might consider making some money back by selling your dress. There are many ways to do this — posting in bridal groups, listing on Poshmark or seeking out sites such as Once Wed’s Pre Owned Wedding Dresses online platform.

5. Something New

Can’t part with your dress and find yourself thinking about wearing it again? Reimagine it by turning it into something new for your wardrobe. Enlist the help of a seamstress to help you turn it into a cocktail dress, a two piece set, lingerie, accessories and more. All the more special, turn it into an outfit your loved one or child could wear. In most cases, fabrics can even be dyed and added to. Wear your new outfit during anniversary celebrations to commemorate the day and awaken the special feeling of wearing your dress.

6. Something Borrowed

If you can’t commit to donating or selling your dress, but you want to see it put to good use, consider lending it to others. It becomes all the more sentimental to see a family member or friend wearing your dress.

7. Keepsakes

Have your dress along with your veil, garter and other accessories framed or put into a shadow box display for your home. Crafty brides have repurposed their dresses into ornaments, Christmas tree skirts, pillows, jewelry, handbags, quilts and more. If you don’t trust yourself with the crafting, Etsy has plenty of vendors that specialize in these services.

8. Photoshoot

Whether it’s on your honeymoon, a year later or on your 10th anniversary, get your dress back out and have fun with a photoshoot. Stunning, sentimental moments of couples splashing in Fiji’s waves or traipsing through fields in Holland have been captured in wedding attire while on honeymoons. Other couples choose to do an anniversary shoot to recreate the day or to renew their vows wearing their original wedding attire.

Feature photo courtesy of Sarah and Paul Photography