What to do with your wedding dress after the wedding

Your wedding dress is one of the most important dresses you will ever wear in your life. This dress has more meaning than just a piece of fabric. It is also a symbol of happiness and unity. Your bridal dress is also a reflection of your personal taste, who you are as a person and perhaps even your love story. Apart from all these factors, your wedding dress is very expensive.

So, isn’t it quite sad that you will wear it just once in your life?

You may not find it easy to decide what to do with your dress after your wedding day. With so much money and emotion invested in making this choice, you may not think it apt to just leave it as such. So, we have rounded up all possible ideas on what you can do with your wedding dress once the big day has come and gone.

But before we proceed further, I must touch upon the importance of having your dress professionally cleaned and preserved. You should do this soon after the wedding day. The only exception for this is if you plan to trash your wedding dress.

Unless you have it cleaned immediately to remove dirt and stains, you risk the following:

• The damage from stains that occur on the wedding day in it can become permanent. It will not be easy to restore the dress to its original condition once this happens.
• Your dress will have picked up dirt, grime and sweat over the day. This can sink into the fabric and spoil its pristine look. It can also result in mildew and mold, if left untouched for long.
• Creases and wrinkles affect your gown when you wear it or store it. You should have these removed promptly if it isn’t to set in permanently
• The longer you leave your dress outside, the more susceptible it is to environmental conditions. The white color will yellow. Also, the dress is prone to new stains unless it is isolated and boxed.

For more information on the importance of professional cleaning and preservation of the wedding dress, visit this section on our website. 

Now that we have covered this aspect, let us take a look at the various options available to you after your wedding day is over.

Save it as an heirloom

Vintage wedding dress trends keep returning to the wedding scene. So, it is highly likely that your daughter, grand daughter or even great grand daughter will someday seek a dress like yours. Save your wedding dress in pristine condition, and it will come in handy in such a situation. Even if the dress isn’t used as such, it is possible that your future generations may re-purpose parts of the gown to make their own wedding dress. Whether it is worn in its original form or customized into something modern and chic at the time, it will once again find use.

The downside of saving your wedding dress for this purpose is that there is no guarantee your dress will be used. It depends on whether your children will even consider the option. If your daughter chooses to buy a new wedding dress, just like you did, saving it carefully would simply be a big waste.

Save it for your future vow renewal

Many couples decide to celebrate their marriage years after they are married, with a vow renewal. You may like to reuse your wedding dress on such a day. This is an apt occasion to relive your wedding day and deck yourself up as you did when you were a bride the first time. However, it isn’t necessary that your dress will fit you in the future. If you don’t change size significantly, you could wear your wedding dress once again with some alterations.

Nevertheless, you can even use parts of your wedding gown in a new dress for the day. All you need for this is a talented seamstress who can convert your dress into something else. Are you having trouble thinking up interesting ideas on how to achieve this transformation? Here are some stunning ideas on the Good Housekeeping website . There are more ideas here as well, on the Cosmopolitan to inspire you.

Sell your dress

Wedding dresses are expensive. If you never intend to use it again, it is sensible to sell the dress after your wedding. This will help you recoup a part of the money spent on it. There are many websites that allow you to list your dress online and sell it through them. Improve your chances of making the sale by having it professionally cleaned and restored to mint condition. Also, make sure you capture amazing photographs of the dress and add all relevant details to the listing.

Put up your dress for sale promptly after the wedding and improve your chances of making a sale. The longer you wait, the more likely its price will go down. For more advice on how to sell your dress online, visit this article on the Daily Life blog. 

You can also discuss this option of selling your dress with the boutique that you buy your dress from. If the shop has a dress rental service, it is likely that they will be ready to buy back the dress after your wedding at a reduced price. With this option, you needn’t search for another buyer, since the sale is guaranteed.

Trash the gown

If the money you spent on it doesn’t matter, trash your gown. This trend is supported by a relatively new style of wedding photography called the Fearless bride or rock the frock. Here the photographer will use a location that is entirely different from the typical wedding day scene. This could be a marsh, beach, field or outdoor location. The photographer aims to shoot photos that fit into the fashion photography genre. The pictures will look amazing, unique and one-of-a-kind. Your dress will become wet or dirty during the course of the session. So, it may be impossible to restore it to the original condition after the session. Because of this, it isn’t a good option if you wish to keep your dress for later use.

The photos are however worth the effort. In the hands of a talented photographer, these photos will be at a whole other level and much better than regular, wedding photos in every way. Take a look at this article to see what you can achieve with this idea. 

Donate your dress to a worthy cause

You can make sure that your dress lives on and is used by another bride when you donate it. There are many organizations that are ready to accept used wedding dresses. They may donate it to a bride who needs one for her wedding day. Or they may sell or auction it and use the proceeds for a worthy cause. Either way, you will contribute to a good cause. You may feel this is the right thing to do.

If you are unsure of whom to contact for this, take a look at this article on the Babble website.  Their suggestions include organizations that not only cater to needy brides, but also those that turns donated wedding dresses into beautiful burial grounds for infants who passed away. Take a look and we are sure you will find the choice that appeals to your ethics.

Transform it into a christening gown

If there is a baby on the way, or even if you intend to have children someday, you can save your gown and convert it into a christening dress. Just like your wedding, your child’s christening is a momentous occasion in your life. This is an amazing way to give your wedding dress a new purpose. With the help of a good seamstress, you can have your wedding dress transformed into a grand christening gown for your little bundle of joy.

There is another good aspect to this idea. Unlike when you hold on to your dress hoping your future daughter or daughter-in-law will choose the dress, you can take the uncertainty out of the equation in this case. After all, you have the freedom to make decisions for your baby. So, you can most definitely dress your child up in a converted wedding dress and make it part of a happy life occasion.

Use the fabric in customized lingerie

There are better chances of you using your wedding dress again this way. Companies like Impish Lee specialize in this type of work. Book a consultation with them to discuss your options for the garment so close to your heart. They will help you decide on a style that works best for you and suggest how to transform your beloved dress into the chosen design in the most efficient manner.

You can also use the extra fabric and embellishments like trim, lace or ribbons in something entirely unique and new. Once the blueprint is ready, their experts will complete the task of bringing the design to life.

Use the fabric in stunning throw cushions

Here is a great idea to keep your wedding dress within sight all the time. Throw pillows are a popular décor accessory. You can use them anywhere in the home, from the bedroom to the living room and even the patio. Your wedding dress has beautiful fabric that can be designed into throw pillows. The netting and inner layers can also be used as the filling.

The best part about this idea is that you can do this project yourself. It is relatively simple and you can easily complete it within a few days.

With the embellishments and ample fabric that goes into most wedding dresses, you will have plenty of material to get creative. Moreover, do it right and you could even make them family heirlooms to pass on to your children. Or gift them to your loved ones as a special gesture of thanks. You can also use the same idea to make beautiful pillows instead of cushions. If you do not have the time or aren’t confident in taking up the job yourself, get it done by a professional. We are certain you will love the results.

Make a pretty patchwork quilt

If you loved the feel and look of your wedding gown, keep it close to you forever by having it made into a patchwork quilt. This is a project where you will have to invest more time and effort. You should also have a good idea of what you are doing, if you have to succeed at it.

You can use your wedding dress immediately after the wedding, or keep it till later to have this done. You can even add your wedding photo, initials, invitation or other details into the quilt by having it printed onto the fabric. If your wedding dress was a ball gown or heavily layered style, you could get up to two quilts from it. With this you gain a valuable décor piece that has a sentimental value attached to it. Don’t you think the idea is wonderful?

If a quilt doesn’t catch your fancy, you can do something on a smaller scale. A tote bag or clutch are such options. You just have to give it some thought and the ideas will keep coming.

So, which of these options will you choose for your wedding dress?

For more interesting ideas and valuable wedding advice and fashion updates for the modern bride, keep visiting us here on the Best for Bride blog.