Archive for September, 2010

What to do with your wedding dress after you’ve worn it

Considering you’ve just spent the most money you’re ever likely to spend on a single item of clothing in your entire life, you’re possibly not considering what you’ll do with it after the wedding day. But because it’s a big white wedding dress, it’s reasonable to suggest you may never get to wear it again.

If like the “average bride” you’ve just spent around £1000 on your wedding dress for your big day, it does seem like an awful lot of money to spend on something, then stuff it in the loft. Yet polls suggest that is exactly what 99% of brides have done with their wedding dress after their special day.

Without a doubt there are other alternative ways of dealing with the most important dress of your life after you’ve worn it just the once, so here are a few suggestions, followed by our own poll for you to let you know what you’ve done or intend to do with your wedding dress after your wedding.

Feel good and donate it to a local charity.

There are plenty of charities around that would benefit from the donation of your wedding dress – including our friends at St Francis Hospice in Collier Row who specialise in bridal cast-offs.
However, if you still don’t like the idea of parting with your dress, how about raising funds for a charity by wearing it to the office, or running at a charity event? Breakthrough Breast Cancer organise a “Brides At Work Day” – Google their website for details.

Make it a work of art

You have your wedding photos to remember, but what about that special relationship between you and your wedding dress?
Not so long ago we posted some cracking photographs of brides with the Trash you wedding dress concept, but we are also aware of a Cherish the Dress idea.
The idea is a bride can go be a movie star for the day, and take part in her own full, glamorous professional modelling shoot, but with your wedding dress firmly in the spotlight. Of course this means you will get all the fun of pulling the dress back on, having your make-up done professionally done again, and posing away at a glamorous location.
Either way you’ll end up with some fantastic photographs to remember your dress by, just make sure the photographer is really aware of what you’re trying to achieve.

Make a mini wedding doll of yourself

Some brides would really love to have their dress mounted inside the biggest picture frame and hang it on their living room wall, but perhaps the other half may not be so keen on this idea.
So perhaps a better option is to have a little doll crafted entirely in your wedding day image. There are specialists to be found on the internet who can work with your own materials to create a mini-me replica of you.
Not perhaps the cheapest of ideas, but the doll does act as a permanent reminder of your wedding dress on display.
Of course, the best part of this idea is that you can pass it down to your children to keep as a new family heirloom.

Selling your wedding dress

It may bring a tear to the eye of some, but the prospect of selling on your dress and recouping some of that wedding expense isn’t as bad as it sounds.
The best way to think about it is to consider spending the money you receive on something else special, perhaps a holiday, or something you will keep in your home. By creating either a fantastic memory, or an ever lasting piece of furniture it give you a fond memory for years to come.
Beware though, sites like ebay or other wedding dress selling websites will take a big percentage of the price from you.
And once it’s gone, if you’re not happy with the small return you got on your expensive dress, there is little you can do about it.

Make it wearable again

How about just keeping it? But instead of stuffing it in your loft, dye it another colour, trim the bottom of it, and make it a posh dress you can wear at any posh party you attend. It’ll still be your wedding dress – the dress you got married in, just with a different look and feel.

So, there you go, plenty of ideas what to do with your wedding dress after the wedding, take a moment to vote below on what you’ve done, or are planning to do with your dress after you’ve worn it on your wedding day.

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