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You found the one, said “I do”, wore your dream dress and everyone swooned. With the honeymoon over, photos ordered and presents unwrapped, there’s one thing left to do - decide what to do with your wedding dress after your wedding. As much as you’d love to wear it again, there is just no occasion for it. So now what? Thankfully, we’ve scoured the internet, so you don’t have to. Here are several options for you to choose from.

7 things to do with your wedding dress after your wedding  

#1 Repurpose it 

If you love getting crafty and taking scissors to your wedding dress won’t cause upset, you may want to repurpose it and turn it into something that you or your family will love and use for years to come. After asking around the office (and taking a sneaky peek on Pinterest), we love these suggestions.

  • Create a christening gown for your children.
  • Make a pillow for a loved one’s baby.
  • Make a fancy dress costume.
  • Whizz up some dressing up outfits for little ones in the family. 
  • Turn it into a Christmas stocking. 

#2 Alter it

Getting to wear your wedding dress again is a dream come true for some brides. But, unless you opted for a casual wedding dress or bridal jumpsuit, it’s not practical for most. That is unless you alter it. If retiring your wedding dress after one wear seems like a crying shame, consider getting it altered into something more wearable that you can wear again and again. You could dye it or have it taken up to wear at an evening event or anniversary dinner. We know one bride who dyed her bridal gown pink for her daughter to wear at her prom. 

#3 Trash it 

Originating as a post-wedding photograph opportunity, this suggestion is less destructive and more meaningful than it sounds. A popular trend over the pond that we’re sure will catch on here is to hold a memorable event on your anniversary where you wear your wedding dress again but in a more relaxed environment. Not only do you get to feel beautiful again, but some brides report enjoying wearing their dress a second time around even more enjoyable because they’re not worried about keeping it clean for the ceremony and photos.  Suggestions we personally love are dancing in the rain, diving in a pool, having a snowball fight, visiting the beach and paintballing. You can even frame your dress afterwards to remember the day!

#4 Hand it down 

There are few heirlooms more sentimental than wedding rings and dresses and, if you’re blessed with daughters, passing down your wedding dress is probably something you dream of doing. While it’s also a big honour for your daughter, we suggest making sure you ask first as fashions change and it may be a case of altering yours to suit today's styles.

#5 Donate it to charity

If you’re financially comfortable and like the thought of another bride enjoying your wedding dress while helping a charity close to your heart, why not donate your dress? A future bride will benefit from paying a snippet of the price too. There are also charities that turn wedding dresses into outfits for angel babies, if this is something close to your heart.

#6 Sell it 

If budgeting isn’t your forté and you overspent on your big day, it might be worth selling your wedding dress instead of donating it. You can make some money and pass your dress on to another bride to enjoy.

#7 Keep it

If you cherish your wedding dress too much to donate, repurpose, sell or trash it and don’t have anyone to pass it down to in the family, our final suggestion is to keep it and saviour the fond memories you have of wearing it on your wedding day. You can even decide whether to have it dry-cleaned or keep any stains as additional momentos. 

If you’re at a loose end with what to do with your wedding dress after your wedding, we hope you found this blog useful. If you wore one of our gowns and want to share what you’ve done with your dress, send details to enquiries@ronaldjoyce.com for a chance to feature on our blog or social media pages.

 

Written by Lucinda Bell