In the months leading up to your big day, no clothing item has ever seemed more important than your wedding dress. But as soon as that day passes, the dress instantly loses some of its magic. While this shock of fabric is still gorgeous and meaningful, it represents a fond memory rather than an anticipated future.
With this instantly depreciated value, it’s a small wonder that some brides even manage to get their wedding dresses cleaned after their big day. But the likelihood that those brides will do anything more than stuff that garment in their closet or attic is even slimmer.
Even after your big day, your wedding dress still has use! While that use may be slightly different than it’s original one or it may no longer be of use to you personally, there are many ways to repurpose a wedding dress!
Reuse:
1. Dye and chop
If you went the traditional route, your dress is pure white and stretches at least to the floor — aspects which, in tandem, prevent you from being able to wear your dress again. But with just a little bit of dye and one pair of scissors, you can completely transform your dress from obviously bridal to wearable formal. Depending on what material your dress is made out of and the number of layers it contains, you may need the assistance of a tailor. But if you’re feeling adventurous, dye, chop, and enjoy!
2. Pillow
You can never have too many throw pillows. Wedding dresses contain loads of valuable and meaningful fabric (that’s why they are so expensive). If a pure white pillow sounds a little too extreme for your decor, opt for a partially bridal design like the one above.
3. Necklace
Your wedding day is a memory you will carry in your heart for the rest of your life. While it may not be reasonable to keep your entire wedding dress, you can keep part of it to remind you of that day. Take a part of the fabric from your gown to make a necklace — a constant reminder of your wedding day and all it represented.
4. Baby clothes
While you may not be interested in wearing your wedding dress again, it can be worn again by someone else in your family… your kids! Make a miniature dress for your daughter, a suit for your son, or a christening gown for either of them. This piece of attire can serve as a special outfit for your children and an heirloom to pass on for generations.
5. Tablecloth or napkins
Again, this idea largely depends on the material and cut of your wedding dress. To make a tablecloth, you will need a larger section of fabric from the skirt of your dress. Napkins require much less fabric, and you can make multiple of them. Either way, even the most domestically-challenged bride can create this rectangular sections of fabric.
Donate:
6. Brides Across America
By donating your wedding dress to Brides Across America, you give deserving military brides the opportunity to find the dress of their dreams. While deployments, distance, and finances make all aspects of planning a wedding challenging, BAA helps to eliminate the stress of finding and paying for a gown. The organization partners with bridal salons across the country for the twice-a-year Brides Across America’s Nationwide Gown Giveaway to give military brides free wedding gowns.
7. Angel Gowns
Sadly, some newborns do not make it out of the hospitals in which they were born. The Angel Gown program transforms donated wedding dresses into burial gowns for such infants. Volunteer seamstresses craft these beautiful gowns to give to mourning families. Who is more deserving of wearing your wedding white than an innocent babe?
8. Adorned in Grace
Adorned in Grace was formed after one sex trafficking victim’s experience with a donated wedding gown. The organization accepts and resells wedding gowns, along with other formal attire and accessories. All proceeds promote awareness and prevention, and provide resources for victims.
9. Every Girl’s Dream, Inc.
Every Girl’s Dream, Inc. accepts not only wedding dresses, but tuxedos, shoes, and other formal dresses, as well. This organization helps to fulfill the childhood dreams of girls by giving wedding gowns to brides who cannot afford them. You do not even need to clean your dress before sending it in, but a small donation is suggested if cleaning is necessary.
10. The Bride’s Project
The Bride’s Project not only strives to help financially-conscious brides but also to help those fighting cancer. All the profits the organization compiles by selling donated dresses goes toward cancer charities. Your dress could help put an end to cancer!
No matter what you choose to do with your wedding dress after your wedding, don’t allow laziness to let your dress slowly yellow in your attic! There are plenty of options, both useful and charitable, that you can adopt in order to repurpose your dress.
