Late mums wedding dress

[Timeandtune]

Hello - I am looking for some suggestions on what to do. Mum died very peacefully at the age of 91. She had been widowed for 30 years and got married in 1958. Her dress was ballerina length and made by a local seamstress.
The dress lived in the bottom of her wardrobe in a carrier bag and survived many, many house moves.
When she moved to a dementia nursing home I found the dress and had it cleaned. It actually looks fairly good.
Anyhow my dilemma is what to do with it? I am not sentimental but it obviously meant something to mum.
Does anyone have any ideas ? Thanks in advance.

Pass down to your daughter if you have one?

There are charities that use wedding dresses to make burial outfits for stillborn babies. Thinking of doing the same with DM's dress (also survived several moves including Australia and back)

Sorry for your loss OP.

Do you want to keep it? I think it's fine to hang onto things like that, just for sentimental reasons. Do.you have a DD who might make use of it, either as a wedding dress or dyed as a prom dress/ similar?

Otherwise if you want to pass it on, Oxfam have lots of second hand wedding dress shops so maybe you could give it away for someone else to wear and love?

I didn't know about this. Such a lovely idea ❤️

Thanks everyone. I don’t have a daughter or anyone who is likely to want to wear it.
I feel if I hang onto it the “problem “just gets delayed for my sons to deal with at some point.
I like the idea of it being used by a still birth charity.
I will also investigate the Oxfam idea.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

You could probably sell it - other posters can advise better than I can.

Or I'm sure a charity shop would love it but I'd look for one with a good vintage section. Some specialise in wedding dresses.

Or if you have a costume museum nearby they might be interested. That dress will have a history - the post war, pre-1960s period is fascinating.

The main charity seems to be Cherished Gowns but they ask for recent dresses i.e within the last 10 years, according to this site.

https://cariki.co.uk/blogs/the-green-road/where-to-donate-my-wedding-dress-in-the-uk

I think it is fine for 'sentiment' not to be passed down the generations.
ie Just because it was special to your Mum and she kept it, it doesn't mean you can't now get rid of it.
We have a lot in our house that is special to DH because they were his parents' things. But they won't be special to our DC, they will choose for themselves what they think is special.

Could you use some of the material and have it made in to some home furnishings like pillows?

Lots of good ideas here. Thank you everyone x