Wedding is over, what should I do with my dress?

[StephSFL]

After taking my Mom's lace gown out of the box (it was preserved over 30 years ago) and seeing how the years had not been kind to it, I decided to donate one of them to the breast cancer society gown sale. I am not sure if they have one near you, but I feel at least some other bride will get to enjoy a gown while the money from its sale goes to a good cause.
I have also heard of people taking the material (leftovers from alterations, etc.) and making pillow cases and such.

 

[calanniebu]

I have a friend that just had a baby. She took her dress to a dressmaker and they made a baptism dress/bonnett/booties for the baby out of it. I went with her to the initial designing/measuring session and it was a wonderful experience. She was able to pick out different aspects of her gown that she wanted in her little girls dress, where the beading and such would go, type of sleeves, etc. It was approx $100 to have to baptismal outfit made and definitely worth every penny. The dressmaker had a quite a bit of fabric left over that she gave back to my friend. There will be enough left that she can take it back and have a first communion outfit made when the time comes!

HTH
Brandi

I noticed that you are in upstate NY? How upstate? I haven't been able to find anyone in the greater Boston area that does this.

I have had my dress cleaned and boxed professionally in the hopes of finding someone that could make it into a baptism outfit or the other one I have heard of was basinet linenes. Either way, I'd love to be able to use this dress again someday - either myself for a VR or for my future kids.

 

[cryssi]

my gown is 2 piece, and I wanted to wear the bodice with pants or something for our anniversary...but that didn't happen! LOL I doubt it would fit, anyway. My mom had the skirt cleaned b/c the hem was so dirty, but not the top. They are both in the closet of our guest bedroom. If we ever did a vow renewal, I would lose weight and wear it again b/c I love it so much. We will never have a VR, though, b/c DH doesn't believe in those sort of things ...oh well, maybe for an anniversary?? LOL Or whatever! It's just a cool top!

 

[JandJ]

I didn't have mine professionally preserved, I didn't want to spend $150+ and have it still yellow over the years, so I ordered a preservation box and acid free tissue and just folded it up and wrapped it up in the box, along with my shoes, purse, tiara, and DH's tie. I put it on for our 1st anniversary and it was of course wrinkled but still looked nice - I LOVED my gown I have no dreams of wearing it for a vow renewal (we probably won't do one) or having a daughter that will wear it. I think I'll just keep it in the box under the bed for sentimental reasons and hopefully I'll be blessed with a daughter who will want to see it or play dress up some day. I do love the shoes, though, may have to wear them again!!

My mom had hers professionally preserved but that didn't stop it from yellowing. I wore it for Halloween when I was 10! Mom was VERY thin. We discussed her and daddy having a vow renewal for their 45th, her health didn't allow that, but she tried on her gown and could almost still fit in it! I'm not sure what happened to all of her wedding items when she passed She still had some dried flowers, she didn't carry a bouquet, she carried a small white Bible with flowers cascading from it, and she still had the Bible. She still had some rice too, in a cute box that said "our wedding day," and her veil, which I ripped on that Halloween night (she wasn't even mad at me - she was a wonderfully understanding mom!). I'd like to have all of that stuff some day . . .

 

[LUV2DZNEE]

[/QUOTEMy mom had hers professionally preserved but that didn't stop it from yellowing. I wore it for Halloween when I was 10! Mom was VERY thin. We discussed her and daddy having a vow renewal for their 45th, her health didn't allow that, but she tried on her gown and could almost still fit in it! I'm not sure what happened to all of her wedding items when she passed She still had some dried flowers, she didn't carry a bouquet, she carried a small white Bible with flowers cascading from it, and she still had the Bible. She still had some rice too, in a cute box that said "our wedding day," and her veil, which I ripped on that Halloween night (she wasn't even mad at me - she was a wonderfully understanding mom!). I'd like to have all of that stuff some day . . .[/QUOTE]

What beautiful memories! You are blessed to have had such a wonderful mother. Now she's your Guardian Angel.

 

[lurkyloo]

What about displaying the gown on a dressmaker's dummy? I guess it might get dusty or yellow, but from a lot of these posts it sounds like that would happen even if you kept it hidden away in a box!

 

[catmorgan4]

I have told people that I want to give my dress to brides for breast cancer. They tell me that after my wedding I will want to keep my dress but, I too have a small apartment with no storage space. I think I will feel good about passing my dress on to someone that may actually wear it and that the proceeds will go to a good cause.

Cat

 

[ForKeeps]

Moonpie,

I just wanted to post quickly to say that after seeing what you did for your wedding -- anything you decide to make from your wedding dress will be drop dead gorgeous!

 

[Moonpie]

Moonpie,

I just wanted to post quickly to say that after seeing what you did for your wedding -- anything you decide to make from your wedding dress will be drop dead gorgeous!

Wow, thank you! You guys are definately giving me the courage to go for it! And this sounds a bit crazy...but I may want to save some of the fabric to make a baby blanket to display in a nursery, sometime in the future.

 

[dmslush]

Wow, thank you! You guys are definately giving me the courage to go for it! And this sounds a bit crazy...but I may want to save some of the fabric to make a baby blanket to display in a nursery, sometime in the future.

I think once you get it taken apart, there will be enough fabric for several projects. I would definately make a baby blanket, something that can be passed down through the generations! Also, something else that I thought of, although it might be a little corny LOL, what about making a barbie sized replica of your dress, getting a nice little doll and displaying it?

 

[Ember]

LOL, I read through to the last post and there was my thought! My mum is making me a Barbie sized replica of my dress from the fabric removed during alterations.

I guess I'm not overly sentimental because I'm selling my dress. It's a couture gown and I figure even if I can't get what I paid (which I'm not expecting!) I should be able to get somewhere between 1/3 to 1/4 of the money back. I bought really fantastic wedding jewelery, though, and I'm keeping that to wear.

 

[janine]

I bought a beautiful customised wedding dress box from www.thebeautifulboxcompany.co.uk The pictures dont do it justice.
The dress is stuffed with tissue paper to keep it's shape.
They customize a box to suit yourself. I chose a Cinderella pumpkin theme.

here are my pics of it:

 

[firesongmd]

I think I tried to list mine for sale ebay or somewhere but didn't get a response. I also hate to let it go for not much money. I am going to wear it again as a Victorian costume to the ball at Dickens on the Strand in Galveston. It would be fun if we had a daughter who could wear it but not sure if that will happen. I had originally thought the train could be made into a cloak but I didn't do the alterations for that.

 

[emememem]

My DMIL made my dress into a beautiful quilt. she used the beading,sequins and lace from the front of my dress as an aplique(sp) over antique white fabric as the background quilt squares....it came out beautiful..It was hard at first to think of my beautiful gown being cut into pieces..but after it hung in a garment bag for many years, it is now displayed in our bedroom.

 

[happilyeverafter07]

These are all really great ideas! Haha, I haven't even had my wedding yet and I'm already thinking of how I can use the dress again.

Thank you all for sharing!

 

[Maggimus]

Does anyone have photos of the quilts and things made with their dress?? I would love to see them!!

I would love to invest in something similar like that. I doubt ill make good use out of my dress again-- but its far too beautiful to just get rid of- ya know?

 

[Rustyflwr3]

Janine - What a beautiful box!! I think you just convinced me to go get my dress ready to go and get a box like that Thanks so much for posting!! The link doesn't work for me though

 

[Bubbley4Disney]

I still have mine after 10+ years and intend to wear it for our VR in December (I'm so sentimental!). I designed it and had a local tailoress make it for me, but I'm thinking of adding some hidden Mickey's to the full skirt, in pearls so it's subtle but so Disney at the same time. I'm currently on a diet to get back into it, as I have put on lots of weight in the past decade.
I didn't have it cleaned for a couple of years (I know - shame on me ) but it cleaned up perfectly when I eventually got around to it. I now have it in a cotton bag to let it breathe, in my spare wardrobe, with one of those lavender scented anti-moth hanger's.

I can't believe how quickly ten yrs goes by! My dress has been hanging in my closet for 10 years, not bagged or anything, I hope it will clean well for my VR whenever that may be, DH thinks ten years is too soon! UGH Oh well maybe on my 20th ~till then I will live a VR through the Dis!

 

[janine]

Janine - What a beautiful box!! I think you just convinced me to go get my dress ready to go and get a box like that Thanks so much for posting!! The link doesn't work for me though

Whoops sorry, I got it wrong. Here it is again:

http://www.thebeautifulboxco.co.uk/

 

[pepples22]

Janine - the box is really really nice!!!

I did wonder what to do with my dress after the wedding and I think yours is a lovely idea. It is like a wedding album, you take the lid off of the box and remember the memories from the wedding.

Thanks for this nice idea!!!!