Did you donate your wedding dress?

[Beauchamp]

I'm thinking of donating my wedding dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer. Has anyone else done this?

I love my dress. However, I wonder what is the point of preserving it, vacuum-sealing it in a box and carting it around with me for the rest of my life? I don't expect my daughter to wear it, and I have lots of photos of myself in it. Hmm. That's my thought process so far.

Did anyone donate and then regret?

[sagewinna]

I didn't donate it, my MIL used it to make a christening gown. I figured the chances of any of my girls wanting to wear it AND being the right size, etc, were slim and it gave us a way to enjoy it still. I love the pictures of me in the dress and that's good enough for me... I am not super sentaental about objects though, so YMMV.

[sunnysandiegan]

I kept mine, but it is not your typical huge fluffy white satin with a train, etc. dress. It is more unique and I sewed up my own muslin covers for the various parts (none of the fancy preservation services here, just ordinary good cleaning and protection processes). My DD absolutely adores my dress and does want to wear it one day. She is nine now, but she has been enthralled with it since she was 3 or 4 years old. She has tried it on, too. Fun times all around. I don't keep a lot of stuff, but this one I am keeping. It is low-profile and easily stored on the top of our closet or under the bed (been in both places over time).

ETA: DD can change her mind at any time and it doesn't affect my decision to keep my wedding dress. She can wear it or not. Her choice. We have a lot of fun with it meanwhile!

[BreatheMama]

Oh, good question. I've have had the same thought. After cleaning out the whole closet except for "the dress". I dont think anyone will wear it, or will I really ever have something made from it and do I even want a pillow or quilt?

[BarefootScientist]

I didn't really go all out with my wedding dress - it was a $105 white JC Penney prom dress. If I may say, though, it looked really good on me and I really loved wearing it and I love the pictures.

But I am thinking about getting rid of it when we move. What point is there in carting it around? I'm not going to ever wear it again, especially since it is kinda see-through and I had to get a special slip made for it (by my grandma), which I no longer have. I may not even have a daughter, and if I do, I'm going to encourage her to wear whatever she wants to get married in. Maybe there'll be another $105 JC Penney's dress around. And we already have special christening gowns and such in the family, even though we don't baptize our kids so...

Yeah, no reason to keep it. I think I've just convinced myself. Of course, I don't know about you or your wedding dress, I think I was just talking to myself here.

[Chamomile Girl]

I never even washed it after the wedding . Its still hanging in my closet almost seven years later three inches deep in mud and grass stains.

I doubt anyone would want it now.

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by BreatheMama

will I really ever have something made from it and do I even want a pillow or quilt?

I sure don't! What would I do with an ivory pillow with pink beading? Doesn't exactly match my decor.

My dress has an upper bodice totally covered with flowers made of pink quartz-like stones and crystal/glass beads. I thought about popping off all the stones and beads and maybe making a necklace or something out of them to keep for my DD. But why rip up the dress and make it useless when someone could wear it, and it could be used to raise money for a good cause? I don't know.

[berry987]

I was just thinking the same thing! Mine is clean and vacuum sealed and, first of all, I have three sons and can't imagine trying to push my dress on a future DIL. And I just don't have much sentimental attachment to it. It's a dress. A pretty one, that I got married in, but just a dress.

I asked DH and he doesn't seem to care, so I might just get the ball rolling.

[dbsam]

I had a dress from my first marriage in 1986. I paid way too much for it so I felt I needed to have it ‘vacuum sealed’ and stored it for twenty years!
A couple of years ago I donated it to a local church. They make gowns for a ceremony they have with babies – I believe it is a dedication.

It's a little different since I've been divorced and remarried for many years; I am glad to be rid of the dress.

[Traci mom23boys]

I have three sons so I decided to donate my dress to the Goodwill about 10 years ago when we were packing our house to move. I have never regretted it.

~traci

[lexmas]

I would love to get rid of mine...my mother had it all boxed up and saved though, and she's very unwilling to get rid of it! Oh well. I finally convinced her to get rid of the big bushy slip though, so if someone does want to wear it the'll have to buy a new one. I'm not willing to let it take up any more space!

[crunchy_mommy]

I donated mine. Actually I asked my mom to donate it so I don't know where it ended up, maybe Saver's or Salvation Army? I have a million pictures of my wedding day, I don't need a huge dress taking up space, especially if someone else could use it in the meantime. We got married 4 years ago & I've never regretted donating it. If you're hesitant you could always take scraps from the hem or somewhere else unnoticable to make a little keepsake (sachet or pillow or handkerchief or something).

ETA: My mom kept hers and she pulled it out once, when I got engaged (not to try to get me to wear it, just to show me)... I don't think she's ever pulled it out besides that one time. And if you have a daughter I'm sure she'd want to pick out her own dress (and imagine how much the styles will change in 20-30 years!!)

[Vancouver Mommy]

I never even liked my dress. I went dress shopping 6 weeks post-partum and was in a huge rush as my breasts here huge, leaking and uncomfortable. We got married when dd was almost four months. It was the first one I tried on. We are moving in three weeks and I plan to donate it before we go.

[Purple*Lotus]

My dress was custom made because I am too fluffy to buy off the rack. I wonder if anyone would even be able to wear it? It is for my unique body shape. Since I am getting a divorce I don't have any emotional connections to it. In fact I almost fainted while it was being made because I was standing under the hot lights Perhaps that was a sign!

Right now it is stuffed in to my Mother's cedar chest.

[proudmomof4]

To answer your initial question: I haven't donated (or sold) my dress my probably should have done so, about 10 years ago!
I'll try it in the summer when I'm back in my home country.

[mamababamba]

I donated mine after keeping it 10 years in a fit of decluttering and have no regrets two years later....

[jtbuko]

gave mine away a couple years ago and have no regrets

[MamaRuga]

My dress was my mother's wedding dress with some alterations to update it. I couldn't see passing it along, although I'll never use it again. As a little girl I loved pulling her dress out of the ceder chest and playing in it. I'd like my children to have that option too.

[zinemama]

No, dh and I dress up in our wedding outfits every year on our anniversary and go for a stroll in the park. I'm definitely saving it for a granddaughter, if I'm lucky enough to have one.

That said, I'm sentimental about stuff like that. I think donating a wedding dress is a fine idea if you are not the sentimental type.

[Paigekitten]

I donated mine just a year or two after getting married, and I haven't regretted it for a second. My parents were storing it for me until I could lug move it, but I never had the luggage space when flying. I loved my dress, and I love the pictures, and I love not having to drag it around with me for the rest of my life. My mother is also a breast cancer survivor, so donating it was rather touching to her. I am curious if I would still fit it after two kids, but maybe it is better not to know!