You did it – you tied the knot with your soulmate in front of your friends and family, you’ve gone on your honeymoon, and now it’s time to get back to those day-to-day essentials. That means cleaning up all those wedding prep supplies and extra centerpieces and, most difficult of all, deciding what to do with your wedding dress. Will you hang it in the closet and keep it for posterity, or do you have other plans?
The fact is that many women head into wedding planning with a clear vision of their dream dress, but most don’t really know what they plan to do with that garment once they’ve said, “I do.” Luckily, there are a variety of options available depending on your preferences, resources, and other factors.
Want To Keep It?
Some women, while unsure about what they want to do with their wedding dress, feel fairly certain they want to keep it, and doing that can take several forms. For example, you might consider having your wedding dress preserved so that the material doesn’t break down over time.
This is ideal if you’re the kind of person who deeply treasures their keepsakes and likes to share them and tell stories about their life and family history. It’s also a way of acknowledging that, realistically, your future daughter likely won’t wear this dress someday, so preserving it isn’t going to get in the way of that, but still allows you to keep your dress for the long haul.
Recoup Expenses
Let’s be honest: weddings are expensive. Today, the average wedding costs over $22,000, and every added flair – like a boutique wedding dress – adds to those costs. One way to get back a little bit of what you spent is by selling your wedding dress. By selling your wedding dress, you also give someone else the chance to enjoy this treasured article and save a little money in the process.
Gowns For A Good Cause
Many people don’t know this, but there are a number of charities that make use of wedding dresses to benefit important causes. Some hold fashion shows and auction the dresses off to make money for important issues, while another popular second life for wedding dresses involves donating them for Angel Gowns.
The Angel Gown program and similar Cherished Gowns for Angel Babies program make gowns for babies who are either stillborn or pass away during their time in the NICU, offering a special gift to families that have experienced such losses.
Upcycling And Altering
If none of the above ideas sound appealing to you, there’s at least one more fun way you can put your wedding gown to use – upcycling it. Talented artists can transform your wedding gown into accessories like bags and necklaces, as well as household items like pillows, wall hangings, and curtains. By turning your gown into something else, it becomes possible to keep enjoying it for years to come.
There are so many ways to bring new life to your wedding gown after the ceremony is over, so rather than letting it hang in a bag in your closet, consider the options. Whether you’re attached and never want to let it go or just want to free up the storage space, there are a variety of options available to you.
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