The question of what to do with your wedding dress after the wedding is very common.
So much sentiment comes with wedding dresses. You may have spent your whole childhood imagining yours. Or, you may have fond memories of actually finding the one you would wear. You definitely remember wearing it on your wedding day, and it’s in all your wedding day photos. It’s easy to want to hold onto it forever, dreaming of one day showing it to your kids or grandkids. It can be exciting to even put it on again, just for fun.
The thing is, though, that wedding dresses are usually only worn the one time. And, they tend to take up a lot of space. Even if you have a lot of room in your closet a big dress can still get in the way. Plus, in this pro-minimalism world that we live in there is a push to get rid of the items we no longer need or use. And while we may hate to admit it, we don’t need or use our wedding dresses after our wedding days. For this very reason, many brides are left wondering what they will actually do with their wedding dress after they get married.
When it comes to what to do with your wedding dress, you have four main options. You can keep it, holding onto it for as long as you want. Alternatively, you can sell it, and there are a lot of different ways to do that. Or, you can also donate it. More on that later. You can also transform it, using it in creative ways for other special events.
Let’s get into it!
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR WEDDING DRESS AFTER THE WEDDING
Option 1: Keep Your Wedding Dress
Most brides will keep their wedding dress for a period of time after the wedding. If you keep your wedding dress, you minimize the likelihood that you will have regrets about getting rid of it. Plus, you may really love your dress. You may even pull it out from time to time and try it on. By keeping your dress at a location you can get to, you know that you always have the option one day to do something else with it. If you choose to keep your dress, it’s crucial that you properly care for it so it can stand the test of time.
Cleaning Wedding Dress Verses Preserve Wedding Dress
After your wedding it’s important to have your wedding dress cleaned or preserved. These are two very different things.
Cleaned means that you take it to a dry cleaner to remove any stains or dirt. Preserved means that you take it to a specialty location to not only clean your dress, but to store it for you in an airtight, sealed box, ideally with all the oxygen removed from it and replaced with nitrogen. This will greatly slow down the aging of your dress. If you have your wedding dress preserved, the recommendation is that if you break the seal on the box, you take it back to the shop to seal it up properly again.
The cost of cleaning is about $200, while the cost of preservation can be roughly $500 or more. You definitely want to take care of either option pretty close to the wedding, and not wait more than a few weeks if at all possible. This is a great article all about it, and with instructions to clean your dress yourself.
Wedding Dress Storage
When it comes to storing your wedding dress long term, it’s best to ask the place where you bought it for a little guidance. Different materials have different guidelines, and your dress may have some special instructions. If you aren’t sure, or you want to just figure it out on your own, there are some general guidelines, as found in this article. First, it’s best to keep your dress in a dark and dry spot. Sunlight will make your dress fade over time, and moisture can cause it to mold.
Second, your dress should be kept in a breathable cloth bag. Even better, put it in an acid-free storage box. When you picked up your dress for the actual wedding, chances are it came in a usable bag for this purpose. If it didn’t you can always purchase a good box after the fact. Never, ever keep your dress wrapped in plastic. Plastic bags will not let your fabric breath, and it will trap in moisture or break down any chemicals on your dress, which will ruin your dress over time. Many people agree that it’s better to have no bag or box at all, rather than a plastic bag. The third recommendation for dress storage is to hang your dress by the hanger straps, if it’s hanging at all. Never hang by the straps or sleeves on the dress. This will prevent any stretching over time.
Option 2: Sell Your Wedding Dress
Selling your wedding dress is a great option.
There are actually a lot of benefits to selling your dress. First, of course, is that you’ll be able to recoup some of that money you spent on your dress. Second, you won’t have to worry about the storage of your dress anymore. You’ll be able to free up that space in your home and your to-do list as well. Third, it’s environmentally and socially responsible. Selling your dress to another bride allows one less dress to be made in the world. It’s a nice thing to do for another human.
How to Price Wedding Dress
You may be wondering how much you can sell your dress for. This all depends on the age of the dress, if it was from a designer, and how the condition is. In general, if your dress is less than three years old, you had it professionally cleaned after the wedding, and it’s from a designer who is somewhat known and respected, you can list it for about 50% of what you paid for it.
Dresses older than three years may have more aging. Or, they may be out of style. If there are any stains or issues with the dress you’ll want to list it for a lower percentage (try 40% of your original price). If your dress is from a very well known designer, and is in great condition, you can probably list it for 60% – 70% of your cost.
Keep in mind that most of the second hand dresses out there are either very new, or perhaps never even worn at a wedding. This means that there really is some competition, and you’ll want to keep up with that when you price your dress.
This is a really cool wedding dress calculator to help you.
How to sell in person
It is possible to sell your wedding dress in person, should you choose to go that route.
In order to sell your dress in person, you can post a local ad online. Using a social media Marketplace platform, you’ll be able to vet possible interested buyers, and meet them at a local place for transfer. This will save you both on shipping. If you live in a large enough area, there may be some real interest and prospects to sell your dress to. The downside of this, besides the obvious safety risks, is that the buyer may want to try on the dress before purchase. Plus, buyers can be really flakey when it comes to in person transactions.
You could also check out any local consignment shops. Consignment shops may work by holding onto your dress and splitting the profit when it’s sold. They may also just buy the dress from you, at a discount, and then sell it afterwards. The upside is that you really don’t have to do much besides follow the shop’s process. The downside is that you’ll take an even bigger hit on the sale of the dress because you’ll have to split it with the shop.
How to sell online
Selling your wedding dress online is super straightforward in most cases.
To sell your dress online there are lots of options, but I recommend going with one of the many second-hand websites that are actually created for this very purpose. These sites will walk you through best practices. They will show you how to use how to use appropriate photos and work with with prospective buyers. Be prepared to answer many questions about your dress when you post it online. You’ll need to know measurements, how you cared for it, how long it was worn, and if there is any damage. There will be an element of trust with you and buyers. Be as honest as possible about what you’re selling.
This is a great article all about selling your wedding dress online.
Where to sell your wedding dress online:
- Nearly Newlywed: This site has a $25 listing fee and 40% commission.
- Tradesy: This site has a 19.8% commission fee on sales over $50.
- Still White: There is a one-time $20 fee or $30 for a premium listing.
- PreOwned Wedding Dresses: This site has a $25 listing fee.
- Poshmark: This site has a 20% flat commission fee.
- Wedding Bee: This site is totally free of charge.
- Wore It Once: There is a $20 listing fee.
- Sell My Wedding Dress: This site has a $19.97 for a basic listing or $29.97 for a premium listing.
- Once Wed: There is a $19.95 listing fee.
Option 3: Donate Your Wedding Dress
Another option is to just donate your wedding dress.
Benefits To Donation
Now, there are a few benefits to donation. First, you’ll have that extra space in your home. Accomplishing cleaning out your closet while also helping out a cause that can really use your dress will feel really good. Depending on where you donate your dress, you may be able to use that anticipated sale money as a tax write off, too. This does give you a little bit of your money back come tax season. You may also become aware of a great charity and feel compelled to help it out because you are able to. No matter the reason, your dress will still be able to live on and help others, so that’s something to feel good about.
Places To Donate
When it comes to donating your wedding dress, there are a lot of charities and non-profits that will take it for various uses.
Some of the happier uses are for brides to wear the dress while getting married in other countries that are not as well off. There are even charities for wedding dress use in America, too. Some organizations may use the dress in auctions or fundraising events to gain more money for their cause as well.
One of the more sad uses of donated wedding dresses is for premature or stillborn babies who passed away well before their time. Often these little humans are so tiny their parents are unable to find clothes that properly fit to lay them to rest in. There are some great organizations who will take wedding dresses and turn them into tiny, beautiful outfits for these babies. I know from speaking to some of these parents that knowing their children are in a cherished outfit is something that gives them solace as they grieve. While it’s not exactly the most joyful use of your wedding dress, this is still something to consider if you want to donate.
Recommended Organizations
Listed below are some of the recommended organizations to donate your dress to. Many of them make it incredibly easy for you to send them your dress, and will walk you through all the steps. Take a look and choose the one (or another, if you do your own search), that speaks to you the most, and feel good about your choice.
- Brides Across America
- The Angel Gown Program
- Brides for a Cause
- Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
- Brides Against Breast Cancer
- Brides for Haiti
Option 4: Use Wedding Dress Material In A Creative Way
The last option for your wedding dress is to repurpose it in a way that you enjoy.
This is great for someone who still wants to enjoy their dress, but has no intention of storing it in the same condition it came in. And while there is no right way to do this, there are some fun ideas to turn your dress into something else. The benefit is that the dress does find new life in a different way, but the downside is that the dress will never really be what it was on your wedding day.
Trash The Dress
You may remember a trend from a few years ago called “Trash The Dress”. This event is usually done immediately after the wedding. It could be few days later, too. It involves the bride doing something that essentially ruins the wedding dress. A quick online search shows photos of brides doing crazy stuff. There are photos are of brides getting their dresses wet on the beach. Or, you can find brides jumping into pools. There are photos of brides having food fights, paintballing, and even setting their dresses on fire. Don’t worry, they aren’t wearing the dresses while they are on fire!
While the photos of some of these events are pretty cool, it does seem like a lot of potentially dangerous situations to get a great shot. Wedding dresses are really heavy. It may be impossible to swim in them. Also, some of the locations seem risky in general. However, this option may be fun for the right person, and the right dress.
Use The Fabric
While you may not want to trash your dress, you could use the fabric for another wedding or event.
For example, my mother gave me her old wedding dress for my wedding. No, I didn’t wear it. Rather, my friend and I cut it up and used the fabric throughout the wedding. If you looked closely, you could see the wedding dress fabric on wine barrels, tables, and as décor. My friend, who was also the florist at my wedding, even took a little lace applique off the dress and pinned it to my bouquet. This created a special and beautiful nod to my parent’s wedding.
Have Dress Altered
Depending on your dress and your style, you could turn your wedding dress into a nice cocktail dress.
Changing the straps, shortening the length, removing layers, or adding some color are all ways to help transform your dress into something you can actually wear again. If you’re able to hire someone who knows what they are doing, you may even be able to keep any extra fabric and repurpose it in another way later on.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
When it comes to your wedding dress, there is no right or wrong way to go about taking care of it after the wedding. It is recommended that you clean it, unless you’re trashing it anyway. Other than that, you’ll figure out what’s right for you. It’s okay to hold onto it, and it’s okay to sell or gift it. It’s okay to cut it up and find new life for it in your own closet. If you’re unsure of the next action you want to take, give it some time and it will come to you eventually.
More From Hummingbird Wedding Advice:
15 Things To Do After The Wedding
6 Pre-Wedding Beauty Treatments (& One To Leave To A Professional)
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