Would you lend your friend your wedding dress?

[WeddingDressQuest]

Just that really. I've been looking for a wedding dress. I don't want to spend loads as I'm having a small intimate wedding. I've seen people that rent their own dresses out and I think it is great. It then got me thinking of all my friends who have been married and their dresses sat away.

So would you lend out your dress or do you feel too attached to it? If it got a bit of damage would it ruin the friendship etc?

I gave mine to oxfam. It would have been in storage for decades before a niece/dil would be married and then it’s pressure on them for something they probably won’t want. Oh I just kept this very personal item I have huge attachment to for you to wear on a day that supposed to be about you but is very much my style and I don’t want ruined.
full disclosure my mother is the kind of person to foist “sentimental” items on me and I think it’s very unkind.

I would, but as the borrower I think I’d feel overly cautious about it getting irreparably damaged which effectively could impact your day?
Check out Oxfam brides, Vinted, any charity shops; I got my designer gown (£3500 new) for £650 on Preloved and sold it on for the same amount.

totally! brilliant idea

Yes I would lend or give mine away. I've been thinking about what to do with it as obviously I'll never wear it again!

Mines a size 16 op and I'm also south east so you could honestly borrow mine! PM me if you wanted some pictures.

Yes of course

I wouldn't want to attend a wedding looking at a bride who was wearing my dress so I'd rent it out on a professional basis to a stranger but I wouldn't to a friend.

I worked with someone who would be 82 now and she and her best friend got married early 1960s about a fortnight apart. They shared bridesmaids dresses and possibly the wedding gown. It was the same 5 girls and noone was fat or tall back then!

I'd happily give mine away if anyone was on need of one.

Yes I would - however I think you should offer to buy it for a token amount as most people I know resell their dresses for a couple of hundred £. I sold mine as even though it’s a nice thing to keep it just takes up space. This way if it does get damaged etc it’s not so bad.

If you go on Facebook, there's lots of groups where brides are selling their dresses for very small amounts which is another option? I get married in April and after that I'll be giving my dress to one of the charities that have wedding dress shops. I'd very gladly give it to a friend!

The problem is the cost of professional cleaning of a wedding dress. Great to borrow one but can be £200 to get cleaned, making it not the cheapest option!

I hired mine as I dont have the storage space to keep something I'm never going to wear again. I've got plenty of photos, I don't need the dress.
If I had bought one, I would have been happy to sell it on at a much reduced rate.

I was think same about DDs- my dress will be 20 years old by the time she is old enough to get married. Plus I think she'll want all the excitement of picking her own

I gave mine to a charity shop. I'd happily have given it to a friend instead.

Our local Oxfam has a wedding department.

No I wouldn't like the idea. It wasn't too expensive but it has sentimental value to me and I'd worry about it getting damaged. And I think there are plenty of low cost/rental options out there. I'd consider lending it to family though.

I wouldn't, unless I felt my friend really needed it financially wise. Or if it was my absolute best friend.

I think it would just feel a bit gutting to have spent £1000k+ to then give it to my friend for free for the day. And yes, I'd be disappointed if it ended up ruined.

I know that doesn't sound the most gracious or giving, but that's how I would feel, honestly.

I would have. Except I've already given it away. I don't keep things I don't use so it's a no brainier for me.

Sounds a great solution. I'm shopping for one at the moment and even rentals are very expensive. I'm probably going to opt for a high st non fitted one instead but if I could borrow one it would be great

No way. It was designed and custom made for me, it non traditional (off white satin sheath with embroidered green tulle 'coat'.
I think renting to strangers (not that I'd do that) is different than lending to a friend whose wedding you will attend.

No - I wouldn’t lend someone my wedding dress.

But, didn’t have a traditional dress. I eloped to New York and bought a Champagne sequin dress from a New York designer.

I’ve worn the dress since & plan to wear it again.

I wouldn't lend it but I gave it to a charity shop so hopefully someone bought it!

Mine is just hanging in the cupboard but I have 2 daughters who may want to do something with it. I bought mine second hand on ebay for 40 quid. It's a monsoon dress. Had lots of lovely comments on how beautiful the dress was.
On the day the beads at the bottom got caught on my sandal and lots of beads came off so I'm so glad it cost so little.

No. It's special to me, so for someone I know to wear it, would seem odd.

But I'm not one for over sentimentality when it comes to objects. I do still have it, but if DD doesn't want it (and she could cut it up or alter it) I'd have no qualms about passing it on for a second hand use.

Does anyone know the Facebook pages as I’d love to donate to someone who needed it!

There are quite a few second hand boutique round here. I tried a few but couldn't find a dress I liked. A friend's was second hand and it was gorgeous.