The I do’s have been exchanged, the guests have gone home, and you’ve been unzipped—for the final time—from your wedding gown. Now what? What do you do with a piece of clothing that you quite literally don’t have a place to wear it again? Well, there are a few options we would like to guide you through.
It seems silly to just box it up and forget about it. So much time, money, planning, and photography went into this ensemble. Thankfully, there are some ways to keep its memory alive or get creative with its essence. From getting it professionally preserved to several artistic options for reusing or recycling it, here are 8 things you can do with your dress after the wedding (and tips on getting it done right).
7 ideas to bring your wedding dress to life after the ceremony
Clean It:
The first thing you can (and should) do is get your wedding dress cleaned—professionally! No matter what your plans are for the dress after the wedding, a good cleaning is absolutely necessary for the longevity of the piece. Here are the steps to take to ensure proper care:
- Step 1: Don’t wait. The sooner you’re able to clean the dress, the better. This will make the stains less likely to settle and any damage that was done much easier to repair.
- Step 2: Ensure you have a certified professional wedding dress cleaner. Ask around for reviews to assess customer satisfaction, and make sure they have a certification to perform the process.
- Step 3: Decide whether or not you want to preserve your dress—as you can include this service when you drop off your gown for cleaning.
Preserve / Store It:
If you’ve chosen to preserve your wedding gown, most certified wedding dress cleaners offer this service alongside the cleaning process. Preserving and storing your gown is perfect for those that won’t be unboxing the piece for a long time and want to keep it in good form—maybe even pass it down to a family member one day.
Without preservation, you risk the gown succumbing to mold or mildew growth, permanent creasing, browning, or yellowing. And prepare for the price as well, as the service can cost anywhere between $200–500. Here are the steps to take to ensure proper preservation or storage:
Step 1: Check your label. Your wedding dress will give you hints on what kind of cleaning and care the fabric needs. There are specific solvents needed for various fabrics.
Step 2: Ensure a certified professional. You don’t want anyone touching and preserving your dress that doesn’t have the proper knowledge of the process.
Step 3: Preserving comes right after professional cleaning—in fact, they go hand in hand. And the sooner you can get it done, the better.
Step 4: Ensure an airtight box. These boxes do not have oxygen inside—instead, it’s replaced with nitrogen. This is essential for preservation!
Step 5: Store in a cool, dry place.
Display It:
Of course, you can always get your gown professionally cleaned and display it! There are so many different ways to make this happen depending on your vision and style preferences. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
Shadow Box: When you choose to clean and preserve your dress, you can choose a shadow box preference. This includes proper preservation but with the value of displaying the bodice of your gown and including it in your home’s decor.
Frame It: You can also frame your gown in a classic display. Or, you can display pieces, such as your veil, belt, or just the bodice of your dress.
Dress Form: Use a dress form to display your wedding day look. Use it to highlight the corner of your office. You can even add your necklace to top off the scene.
Donate It:
There’s always the option of donating a gown and feeling the joy of directly helping a bride in need. In fact, you can list your wedding dress for just $25 here and sell it to cover the listing fee costs only. You can either ask the bride who purchases it to pay for shipping—or do a good deed and ship it to her yourself!
Some benefits of this decision:
Helping out a bride in need. Whether it’s finances or a natural disaster, there are brides that would absolutely love the support and help.
Perpetuate a cleaner earth. Donating and reusing is an eco-friendly way to live. The fashion industry causes a huge amount of pollution—if you didn’t know already.
Tax deductions! Donations—both in goods and money—can be deducted from your taxes. Keep a record and use this to your advantage come spring.
Sell It:
Selling your dress is also an option. If you want to declutter and earn some cash back on your purchase, use our wedding dress listing guide to get the process going with selling your gown.
At The Wedding Resale, it is a simple, easy and free way to list your wedding dress and leftover decorations.
This is always a win-win because you get money back in the bank and another bride gets to acquire beautiful preowned wedding items at an attractive price. In a world where frugality is becoming increasingly important, this is a great option for all parties.
