How can I reuse my wedding dress?

[ButterpieBride]

I was going to just donate it somewhere, but I've got attached to it now...

There is a picture (from far away, but you get the idea) on my profile- it has 6 or 7 layers of net and skirt. I don't ever go anywhere formal so I can't just dye it as use it as a ballgown. It is also slightly too big, but my weight yoyos constantly, so not a big deal.

I have two little girls, but almost zero dress making ability. I do have a brilliant MIL though, who could probably teach me.

make dress up dresses for the dds?

Or let them dress up in it as it is. That's what my mum did. Her dress wasn't a pretty sight after a while but we loved it!

You could use some of the fabric to make handkerchiefs for your little girls when they get married?

Hankerchiefs can then be stiched up to make christening bonnets for their babies.. and unstiched and turned in to handkerchiefs again and so on and so on and on

Or you could be totally extravagant and self indulgent by going for a Trash the Dress photo session..

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trash_the_dress

Renew your vows?

Jaybird37

Those seem so wasteful...I'd feel proper guilty.

hold a dinner party where you and all your guests have to wear what you wore on your wedding day - it will be fun, you'll all lok ridiculous and you won't care if you spill red wine down it

My wonderful little cousin had a great idea ....she held a charty "i do " event .

It was a buy a ticket dinner and dance , where everyone had to wear their wedding outfits , wedding dresses , bridesmaid dresses , suits , kilts even the kiddies got dresses up ...was fab.

Everyone who went looked fab , got to wear their special outfits agin , and they raised LOADS OF MONEY for bobaths (charity that works with kids with cerable palsy)
.

jaybird- I love that trash the dress idea :) I have already been to Newcastle centre, and in a rock pub/club in it, on the wedding night, so it is already a bit trashed :)

Stomping about on the dancefloor to cheesy metal in my big boots and full wedding dress and veil has to be one of my highlights of the wedding.

It is only cheap matierial I think- I think it is too shiny for hankies and so on. Likewise the bridesmaids dresses- they were just normal dresses for 20 quid. The wedding dress itself was £120, which is a lot for me to spend on an outfit, but apparently not a lot for a wedding dress. The veil (which is in my memory box) was at the bottom of a job lot of hats I bought off ebay :)

My dress totally rules though- I was sulking a bit about it being so big and white, but I loved prancing about in it on the day and night of the wedding. There is something great about running about in a veil and big dress, and collapsing on the grass.

Glad you like the idea. It is totally wasteful, extravagant but also romantic, but then wedding dresses are generally wasteful, extravagant and romantic, so it sort of fits I think.

If it is synthetic material it may also be harder to trash than you think...

Lots of lovely woods, beaches and industrial landscapes for a photo-shoot around Newcastle. Newton-by-the-Sea is my personal favourite.

Do it do it do it (trash the dress) and then post pics here! It's a great idea. How much does it cost, does anyone know?

I am pretty sure that any wedding photographer would enjoy doing it. If it was their first time you might negotiate cheaper rates if they want to expand their portfolio, or offer anew service locally.

Otherwise, you might find a photography student at a local art college might be talented and cheaper and keen to get some shots for their portfolio..

Butterpie recommendation here www.aquilegiaphotographic.co.uk/wedding-photographer.html

Have to admit to family ties here, but he is good and up for trying a "trash the dress" shoot.

Try again photographer recommendation here

I can do Trash The Dress.
You can see my work here:
www.facebook.com/KristinaJ.Photography

(just go under photos).

I'm a start up business so the prices at the moment are super small.

I have a photographer in mind, thanks :) She did my wedding as a favour/for expenses, I might ask her if she is up for some dress trashing fun :D She is a student, so hopefully will be up for it for her portfolio.

I'm going to turn it into a going out dress after- dye it purple and cut it off at the knee.

Excellent - please post photos.

You can have a christening gown made from your wedding dress. Try Susan Lawson who has been converting wedding dresses for the last 15 years. www.susanlawson.co.uk/pages/customising.htm.