Did you keep your wedding dress or sell it?

maggiethemagpie · 2016-04-26T08:40:11+00:00

Just interested in what others have done. I got married last week and originally planned to sell the dress but I love it so much I don't know if I can bear to. It was part of such a special day but then again I won't wear it again and we have plenty of photos. It will just sit in a box forever apart from maybe the odd peek, so am I better to just try and sell it? Here it is just to show you. Someone suggested I could have it cut down into a shorter dress, but is it too 'weddingy' for that? [[http://www.needleandthread.com/uk/all-bridalwear/dresses/bridal-tulle-v-cut-gown]]

MaybeLater4 · 26/04/2016 09:44

If you really love it, keep it for a few years so you don't regret selling it. If you have daughters in the future, it might be nice to show them your dress.
Don't sell it just yet, just keep it for a while before you rush into any decisions

ShatnersBassoon · 26/04/2016 09:47

Mine went in a skip when we last moved house. It was just sitting there, never looked at, not cherished.

I should have sold it when it was fresh and still passable as fashionable. I don't know why I intended to keep it, I'm not sentimental about things like that.

2016namechangecomingalong · 26/04/2016 09:53

Mine is in a box in the spare room. I loved it and had it cleaned and packed in acid free tissue paper. It's in a beautiful box with the bodice showing through a panel. I am too scared to get it out of the box as I won't be able to put it back in again.

It is nearly 20yrs old now and I have sons no daughters so won't be passing it on to anyone. Not sure really what I should do with it, I don't really want to chuck it away but can see that is what will end up happening to it one day

emsyj · 26/04/2016 09:56

There is very little market for second hand wedding dresses aside from the season's most popular styles from the high-end designers. I looked into this as a business idea but the overwhelming feeling was that it is hard to sell a used dress. People wpuld rather buy a cheaper dress new than have someone else"s. I think you may be disappointed at what your dress would fetch, so just keep it or have it altered to wear again. It would be lovely made short as your friend suggested.

SomedayMyPrinceWillCome · 26/04/2016 09:58

I have exactly the same issue and had a very similar post on here a couple of months ago. I've discovered that even charities don't want old wedding dresses. I need to grow my lady-balls & just chuck it. Maybe next week....

rubberducker · 26/04/2016 10:00

I intended to sell mine and could have got around 50% of the cost back if I'd done it straight away. Instead it hung in our spare room for about 2 years before I got around to getting it cleaned and a lot of the dress agencies that sell more expensive labels won't take a dress over a year old so I missed the boat.

Not sure what to do with it now. It's sat in a box in the spare wardrobe but with 2 sons and a third boy on the way there won't be anyone to pass it down to. I was going to donate it to the charity that uses wedding dresses to create small gowns for stillborn babies but they're currently not accepting any more dresses as think they had a massive influx after lots of publicity recently.

My advice would be to sell it - and soon! you'll always have your memories and pictures. The dress itself will just end up in storage which is sad really if it can make another bride feel amazing on her wedding day.

UsernameTaken2 · 26/04/2016 10:00

I sold mine, it was a large tulle ballgown with a heavily beaded and crystal bodice. We didn't have the space to keep it and it's not the sort of thing that could have been fashioned into a christening robe.

pin.it/-MJMTO3

rubberducker · 26/04/2016 10:00

I intended to sell mine and could have got around 50% of the cost back if I'd done it straight away. Instead it hung in our spare room for about 2 years before I got around to getting it cleaned and a lot of the dress agencies that sell more expensive labels won't take a dress over a year old so I missed the boat.

Not sure what to do with it now. It's sat in a box in the spare wardrobe but with 2 sons and a third boy on the way there won't be anyone to pass it down to. I was going to donate it to the charity that uses wedding dresses to create small gowns for stillborn babies but they're currently not accepting any more dresses as think they had a massive influx after lots of publicity recently.

My advice would be to sell it - and soon! you'll always have your memories and pictures. The dress itself will just end up in storage which is sad really if it can make another bride feel amazing on her wedding day.

rubberducker · 26/04/2016 10:01

Oops ignore double post!

RaeSkywalker · 26/04/2016 10:06

What a gorgeous dress! Would you really not wear it again? I reckon it would be lovely for a posh evening 'do. I think you could definitely sell it.

I've kept mine- my DM washed it and I bought a box. Decided not to sell as the re-sale value is so low (it's quite a traditional Ivory, 'definitely a wedding dress' dress).

Eastpoint · 26/04/2016 10:14

Kept it & wore it a few times afterwards. Have since lost it, not quite sure how. It was Rifat Ozman, 1994. Could have been worn this year by DD as it is very on trend and wasn't a meringue, more of a slip dress.

misscph1973 · 26/04/2016 10:14

I kept mine, got married in 1999. I had it dry-cleaned because my cousin's children wiped their chocolate covered fingers in it ;) I don't keep a lot of clothes and I have moved a lot, so I don't really have that many mementos. My DCs love seeing it every now and again. It's fairly plain and has no veil, so it's easy to keep on a hanger in my wardrobe. I also kept the shoes ;) Secretly I would like DD to wear it one day, but I won't be disappointed if she doesn't. I remember my best friend (we are still friends) showing me her mum's wedding dress in the mum's wardrobe when we were six years old. I was very impressed, as my parents were not married (they were hippies).

magratsflyawayhair · 26/04/2016 10:18

I've kept mine. It's stores in a box in the loft. I have a daughter and while I wouldn't expect her to wear it if she ever decides to get married it would be nice for her to have the choice.

Or I could become a crazy mother in law one day and wear it if my son gets married. WA HA HA HA

Ludways · 26/04/2016 10:28

I wanted to sell but then someone bought me a posh box for it so I kept it, 2'wish I stick to what I said. The box is too big to go anywhere other than the garage.

Ludways · 26/04/2016 10:28

I wanted to sell but then someone bought me a posh box for it so I kept it, 2'wish I stick to what I said. The box is too big to go anywhere other than the garage.

readingrainbow · 26/04/2016 10:30

I cut it up and made a baptism gown out of it. I've kept the bodice, but everything else is just so much spare fabric. I really don't care - the chances of any of my dds wanting to wear it is slim. It's only a dress.

MirandaWest · 26/04/2016 10:33

Kept mine for years and tried it on every now and again. Then xh and I split up and it rather lost its magic.

Gave it to an oxfam bridal shop. Hopefully someone has made use of it

FTS123 · 26/04/2016 10:35

There is a company who take unwanted wedding dresses and turn them into gowns for still born babies. I think that's what I'm going to do with mine. It's 14 years old, I've never looked at it again and I'm now divorced.

BathshebaDarkstone · 26/04/2016 10:35

DH and I kept our handfasting robes, they're hanging on the back of our bedroom door.

mrsmortis · 26/04/2016 10:37

I had mine dyed and the train removed. I wear it as a ball gown occasionally. I also wore a velvet coat which I have worn far more.

SparkleSoiree · 26/04/2016 10:38

I kept mine and every couple of years I have a look at it and remember certain elements about the day which make me smile.

I have a friend who puts hers on every so often whilst in the house, she adores hers!

neonrainbow · 26/04/2016 10:42

Im keeping mine! It cost £1000 i couldn't bear to sell it. Its too beautiful to get rid of.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 26/04/2016 10:43

I think that's lovely and not particularly weddingy. It may make a lovely prom dress for someone?

My wedding dress was cheap (it was a bridesmaids dress but made up in Ivory) I have kept it but it wasn't really sellable and I didn't like to throw it away. I also have boys and as it's 20 years old isn't really a fashion thing either - it's a 3/4 length so I guess it would do for like a ceilidh or something with a sash added.

RaeSkywalker · 26/04/2016 10:47

FTS one of my friends did that- it's a lovely idea.

fuzzywuzzy · 26/04/2016 10:51

I gave mine to a charity which gives bridal gowns to poor women who can't afford their own, think they ship them out to third world countries.

I hope it brings a bride all the, magic, luck and happiness I didn't have with that marriage.