As you all know by now, Yentas are big time schmoozers! When it comes to weddings, there’s just so much to talk about! So, if you want to shmooze, The Wedding Yentas always shmooze back. Readers email with wedding questions for reliable and been-there-done-that information and feedback. Some of these questions haven’t been addressed in blog posts yet, but have become inspirations to create the topic in order to provide answers.
Reader Alexandra asks: “Hey there Wedding Yentas: I figured you might be a good person to ask about this. Do you know of a great place/organization to donate your wedding dress to? As much as I don’t want to give it up, I will never wear it again, and the odds that A). I have a daughter, and B). she’ll be able/want to wear it are slim. Let me know if you have any ideas.”
Hi Alexandra,
You have come to the right place. There are plenty of answers for you!
1. You can sell the dress here: Preownedweddingdresses.com is a good site that allows you to have control of the sale and is a safer bet than eBay since you are targeting your exact market: brides looking for wedding gowns.
2. If you want to donate your gown, there’s also Brides Against Breast Cancer. You ship it to a center and then they tour the gowns in different cities where people buy them and proceeds go to battling breast cancer.
3. Trash your dress! I know what you are going to say: “Yentas, I can’t trash my dress! Are you guys OUT. OF. YOUR. MINDS?” Well, quite possibly, but that’s for another day and time. Of course you can trash your dress. It doesn’t have to be the kind where you throw it in the garbage, but the photography movement of modeling your dress for non traditional photos. Ask your photographer about a “Trash the Dress” session or search on Google and get ready to feast your eyes on beautiful images of brides laying in the ocean, playing in the sand, covered in mud, or baking brownies! This type of session can also be referred to as a “Day After Session” and you don’t really have to trash your dress! It’s just another opportunity to wear your dress and take beautiful photos you might not have had the chance to take on your wedding day!
4. Cut off a piece of your dress so that your future daughter or granddaughter can incorporate some of it on her wedding day. Whether she uses the fabric as part of her dress or as a bouquet wrapper can be her decision. Then donate your dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer or the Salvation Army.
5.Redo it. Old new borrowed redo is a company run by three sisters who take worn dresses (wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, prom dresses — whatever! They even take old t-shirts!) and redo them to create something else. Your wedding gown can become your new throw pillows on your bed or a doll’s dress for your daughter. The options are pretty much endless and the sisters love working with you to customize your old/new product into something redone that you will love. Check ’em out on Facebook, too, to find out what new projects are in the works.
6. Last but not least…keep it. In the event that your daughter or granddaughter might want to wear it. Get your dress dry-cleaned and preserved. Wedding Gown Specialists, who have locations all over the country, preserve and box up your dress so it’s ready to store away in a safe place for many years to come. The bride below wore her mother’s wedding dress and it looked beautiful!
We hope we have given you lots of ideas for what to do with your dress once your wedding is over. At the end of the day it is a totally personal decision, but just know there are lots of great options available.
