What to do with my ten year old wedding dress?

[ilovemygirl]

My wedding was ten years ago. My dress was not a common style and not designer but I LOVED it and really felt it was meant for me. That also meant it wasn't worth anything to sell it.

It is a cream color and ridiculously poofy underneath even though the dress is quilted with no lace or silk or sequins or anything. I had it cleaned and preserved in one of those special acid free critter resistant boxes and it has been in that ever since. That also means it takes up a lot of storage space.

I have downsized and decluttered many times since then but I've always held onto it for sentimental reasons. Now I think it might be time to get rid of it.

I checked into donating it but most charities won't accept a gown as old as mine. I guess I could just give it away on Craigslist or something but that makes me kind of sad to be honest. 

I love the idea of upcycling it but can't think of what to turn it in to. I don't want it to be just another thing for me to store in a different way. My dd was already baptized so we don't need a christening gown which seems to be the big choice. Also I would have to find a seamstress to do it. I have less than zero sewing skills. 

So what do you all recommend? Any ideas? What did you do with yours?

[AfricanQueen99]

Mine is in my basement's cedar closet just hanging away (we have the storage space so it's not an issue).  I got married in 9/2004 and haven't even had it cleaned yet.  It was a very basic style that I told myself would be awesome cut to party length and then dyed, but life got in the way.

To be perfectly honest, I plan on keeping it until my daughter(s) decides if she wants to use it.  My mother had a 1970s psychedelic print and I totally cherished cutting part of hers out and pinning it to the inside of mine.  So I'm holding on to mine to see if mine can be of use to my girl.  Having that moment with my mother was worth holding on to a dress for 25+ years, IMO.

[taubel]

I also still have my wedding dress (from 11 years ago). I designed it and had it custom made and of course loved it. But now it's just hanging in a closet - never even been cleaned or preserved! I have no sisters and three sons, so there's no one to even give it to!

I was all set to put it on Freecycle, but then DH jokingly said that some guy would probably take it and use it as a Halloween costume. Now THAT is depressing!

I would love to donate it to someone who would use it in a good way, but I have not found that yet. 

Maybe somebody will have some good ideas!

[LoveOurBabies]

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Edited by LoveOurBabies - 2/18/13 at 1:55am

[sosurreal09]

Vow renewal? I am not getting rid of mine! I love it way too much and I hope someday DD might like it (even though she is really tall and I'm way short) heck maybe she could just use the top or something.

[justmeandmybrood]

I am in a similar boat - married 13 years (well, as of Monday ) and although I loved my gown, it is NOTHING like the dresses worn today - much less skin is shown with mine!  I had it preserved but hate the space it takes.  Since we move so often, my folks have graciously been storing it, though I need to get it and alleviate them!  DH wants DD to wear it one day.  I do not have any problem with her wearing it, tearing it apart to make a new one, or not using it at all.  Problem is, it was a $550 dress - nothing high-high quality...and maybe it will not be able to make much, who knows!

I have my veil, which I may have made into a Communion veil for DD next year, but other than that I have no idea what to do with the dress.  I do love the idea of pinning a piece of it inside DD's dress as she gets married!  I also agree that unlike a random book or other memento, there is no replacing such a special thing as a wedding dress.

[Comtessa]

I wore my mother's wedding dress when I got married.  My mother is normally not one to hang on to keepsakes for sentimental reasons, but I'm glad she made an exception for her dress, and that she had it cleaned and preserved right away, because it was in beautiful shape for my wedding.  I paid $75  to have it cleaned, pressed and altered slightly to accommodate my pregnant belly.   I could have shopped for years and never found something so beautiful, elegant, simple, appropriate, tasteful and special for my own wedding.  My mom had it cleaned and put back into a (new) dress-storage box, and she says she'll keep it for when my daughter gets married -- "just in case she wants to wear 'our' wedding dress."  IMO, it's worth the storage space.  

[kitchensqueen]

I've got mine from our wedding six years ago. I've always thought to save it for a daughter, but so far I've got a son. :-) Other ideas I've had are to refashion the fabric into a table runner or a Christmas tree skirt. But I'm still waiting a few years to see if we have a girl. It's an off the rack dress, which I loved, but probably not something the mythical girl child would choose for herself. But maybe she'd take it apart and sew some of the fabric into the lining, or use some of the satin ribbon on her own dress or accessories in some way. If not, I really like the table runner option - it would be perfect for special dinner celebrations at home, and could be passed down to my son for his table someday. Actually, now that I'm thinking of it - I could make a table runner from my dress and my husband's red tie that he wore at our wedding, so it reflects both of us... 

[Imakcerka]

I got mine in one of those antique clothing boutiques in Carmel California.  It was awesome!  I don't know if my girls will ever want to wear it but my sister wore my moms and had it altered to remove the big puffy sleeves.  LOVED IT!  I think my aunt altered it or maybe one of the guys that works for her company.  I don't remember I only remember how beautiful she made it look.  I think I would keep the dress.  Even if doesn't seem to be something others might want you never know.  To be honest the original dress before alterations was FUGLY!  

[elsie]

Whether you keep it intact or not is a very personal decision. Good luck deciding.

Here are some ideas of things you could possibly make from the fabric:

Placemats

Napkins

Throw pillows

Sachets

Small quilt

Pillowcase

Table runner

One of the pros for refashioning the dress - you can look at the dress everyday. I also envision making an applique of a bride in your style dress out of the dress material and sewing it on to a pillow or quilt. 

The nice thing about your dilemma is that there are no time constraints, so search yourself to find what you feel is the best thing for you

[*bejeweled*]

I want to make mine into a patchwork quilt, using the wedding dress, parts of DD's baby and little girl dresses, DH's shirts, etc. I really want to do this. I just have to find a quilter I trust.

[justmeandmybrood]

Originally Posted by *bejeweled* 

I want to make mine into a patchwork quilt, using the wedding dress, parts of DD's baby and little girl dresses, DH's shirts, etc. I really want to do this. I just have to find a quilter I trust.

Ooh - this is such a great idea!  I have been saving "quiltable" clothes from my children for years to make quilts out of them, but I never considered adding things from DH and me - and that would be such a neat way to repurpose the quilt (and quite symbolic, which I love)!  Thanks for sharing!

[*bejeweled*]

Sure!

Originally Posted by justmeandmybrood 



Ooh - this is such a great idea!  I have been saving "quiltable" clothes from my children for years to make quilts out of them, but I never considered adding things from DH and me - and that would be such a neat way to repurpose the quilt (and quite symbolic, which I love)!  Thanks for sharing!

[rigelblu]

I've always thought a wedding dress would make great fabric for a traditional baby basinet.  The skirt could feature the beadwork and train.  Maybe some of the fancy bodice would go over the hood...  It'd look awesome.

Also, What about making a christening dress?  If you have a girl, you could use the fabric for her holy communion.  Or, you could dye & re-use the fabric for fashioning a PROM dress....

Mine's still in a box.  I've been divorced for years, but I loved that dress, and haven't done anything with it - yet.

[goobergrl6]

I guess I am odd. About 2 years ago I put mine up on freecycle. We had been married 11 years at that point and I was tired of it taking up closet space. The lady who came to get it for her daughter was VERY grateful even though it was nothing fancy. They could not afford a dress and now her daughter was going to be able to be married in a "wedding" dress. I don't regret it at all and do not miss it. 

Lisa

[diana_of_the_dunes]

Mine went to Goodwill.  I was married 8 years ago, and after about 3 or 4, I told my mom that I didn't feel the need to hang onto it.  She stored it at her house for several more years, because *she* couldn't bear to part with it!  LOL  She eventually decided that it would really be okay if we didn't keep it, so she donated it.  Ironically, hers is still hanging in the basement...

I did keep my jewelry, headpiece, and veil.  My First Communion veil was made from my mom's wedding veil (with a headpiece made by my grandma), and that was very special for me.  That veil was used again to make a veil for the rag doll my grandma made for me.  When I got married, the doll got a wedding dress and veil as a gift from Grandma, which I thought was very nice.  The doll is a meaningful memento of many different phases of my life, and her wardrobe and accessories are mostly made from bits and pieces of clothing or fabric from clothes my mom or I wore during those various phases.  I have a boy, and a girl on the way, and I plan to make a doll for each of them and provide similar accessories.

[Springshowers]

I gave mine away on freecycle. My mom paid $175 top have it boxed and cleaned. I think I kept it about seven years before I wanted that closet space back. I was not attached to it at all and was glad to make someone happy.

[simpletimes]

Such a hard decision.

Mine is 3 years old.  Glad it's still around as I brought it along to a boudior shoot and got some pics of it them.  Might do vow renewals when I ever get a wedding band and when we get my hubs a new ring as he lost his.

[t2009]

Love the ideas here! Coming up on our 10 year anniversary & I still have mine hanging in my closet, uncleaned. Maybe for our anniversary, I'll get it cleaned!!

I bought the material for my own dress (a lovely silk) & had it made by a costume designer -- the whole thing cost me maybe $250 -- I am super attached to it. It is simple but has some personal touches.

My mother did not wear my grandmother's dress & when I was little, she cut it down so I could play dress-up with it. It is a cherished childhood memory. Even at the time I thought it was a big deal that she cut it down for me. My grandparents just celebrated their 60th anniversary & my grandmother used the crown/cloth tiara as a bouquet holder. So touching.

So even though I only have a boy, I will hang onto it as long as I have the space... Maybe I'll have a grandaughter who will want it one day, even if only for playing dress-up.

[journeymom]

Fun thread!

Married for 20 years, I've still got mine, just hanging in the closet.  Amazingly it still fits -except it's rather too tight around the middle and it's rather too loose across the breasts.

I love the table runner idea. 

I like the idea that dd could have it sewn into the lining of her dress. 

I'm glad I've kept it.  I put a lot of thought into it, and my mom made it for me.  I never managed to learn how to sew, she was a talented seamstress, so I've got a lot of mom/daughter emotions wrapped up into it.  Where's the teary-eyed, smiling emoticon?