What to do with my dress (post wedding)?

[MrsCaecilius]

Hi - I got married last weekend (V exciting) and wore a dress I totally loved. But it is quite big. It is off being professionally cleaned at the moment and I am trying to work out what to do with it next. It was quite expensive (thanks mum!) so it seems a great shame just to pack it up and put it in the attic.

It seems my options are:

1. sell it (practical idea, but a bit sad)
2. give it away (it cost a lot so I'd rather sell it and give some of the money back to my mum)
3. store it (but its big and might just fester away)
4. make it into something else (any ideas??)

Just wondered whether anyone had done anything else with their dress, or had it made into something more wearable??

I got married last year and the dress is a big ballgown with long train. The dress along with the also long veil are in the dress bag, being stored at my dads house (thanks dad, but he has a 3 bedroom house and lives alone, and is more than happy to store anything we need him to).
I thought about selling it, as the money would be handy, or even giving it to a charity shop, but in the end I couldn't. It's the thought of someone else wearing MY dress. Yes I know that there's probably someone else out there who has worn the same one at some time, but that one is MY dress that I wore on MY wedding day, and the thought of someone else wearing it on theirs upset me a bit. So I've just kept it.
Also I don't like the thought of having it made into something else. So it will probably stay at my dads for ages tbh.

Do you have an area in your bedroom where you can put it on a mannequin? I have a lovely dressing table and I'd like to have mine on display next to it (when I have one). Mainly because I think it's a shame to put it away. But I wouldn't be able to part with it :)

Make it into a christening gown for your child/ren?

I keep mine in a vacuum bag in the loft. Periodically I get it down and me and my daughter dress up in it (she's a very tomboyish 13yo). I've told her she can have it when she gets married if she wants. I would never sell it, cut it up, or destroy it (some women have destruction parties don't they, jump into a lake in it etc??)
It's my most beautiful possession and it reminds me of one of the happiest days of my life

My friend framed hers and it's hanging above the stairs.

Have you got room to do this ?

I gave mine to a charity that turns wedding dresses into gowns for stillborn babies x

It is tricky!

I agree with you bear I'd never want to trash it, feels like a disrespectful waste of something lovely.

Sadly I don't have enough room to display it Womb, it would take up most of my (tiny) study!

I did think about the Christening gown option Mince, it is worth considering, but I don't even know if we are going to be lucky enough to have kids. (I'm no spring chicken these days!!)

I love the idea of it having a Life, rather than just being packed away just-in-case, but can't really work out what that might be.... I'm not normally that soppy but understand what you mean Kel about feeling funny if someone else had it as their dress!

Randy and Milk - I wish I had the room!! But no. We'd never get down the stairs.....

Queen that is a really lovely thought and one I might consider after having my own children (if that happens). Not sure I'm unselfish enough until then though.

They don't sell well second hand from what I've seen. I love mine too much to sell it anyway. I haven't even had mine cleaned because I like the little marks and stains from DH crushing a flower into the train when we were playing around in a field having photos etc.

Mine is just hanging in the spare room but it was form fitting so doesn't take up that much space.

The Empty Box Co do really pretty PH neutral boxes of all sizes. I pop mine on every now and then. Would love to have it framed!

My dress has a lovely swishy skirt and beading across the shoulders/neckline, I'm toying with the idea of getting it professionally dyed and the skirt altered to around knee length, so I can wear it to other people's weddings & other occasions.

My friend framed hers and it's hanging above the stairs.

Oh!!!

I haven't worn mine yet...will soon and have already been thinking about this. It's a bespoke dress, very unusual, I'd never sell it or give it away so I love this idea that hasn't even occurred to me!

Thank you!