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Original poster

What did you do with your wedding dress?

93 replies

littlegingerone · 09/11/2022 10:47

I recently got married and I'm just trying to decide what to do with my wedding dress now. I thought about selling it on though unsure how easy that would be as I'm only 5'1 so, might be a niche market for it! I looked at getting it cleaned and boxed which is around £175/200.
Just wondered what other people ended up doing with theirs and if there are any other options I'm missing?

OP posts:
hairyunicorn · 09/11/2022 10:49

I dry cleaned and boxed mine. It's currently sat in the airing cupboard

KnickerlessParsons · 09/11/2022 10:52

Mine is up in the loft in the probably vain hope that one of my DDs will
Wear it sometime.

ehb102 · 09/11/2022 10:53

Clean and boxed. GUILT in a box.

Does it bring me joy? No. Was it expensive? Yes. Is it unique? Yes, it was hand made for me. Will I ever wear it again? I hope not. Would I say to anyone else get rid of it if you want to? Yes. Marriage is still going btw.

They are just things. It's a much healthier approach to sell it IMHO than hoard it because of some connection with a dead mother (me again).

AriettyHomily · 09/11/2022 10:53

Kept it in my wardrobe taking up a load of space and then sold it on Vinted for £50:)

Mylittlesandwich · 09/11/2022 10:54

I had mine cleaned and put in a giant box. It's in a cupboard in the spare room. I don't know where it'll end up eventually but I'm not ready to part with it yet.

Monkeytapper · 09/11/2022 10:54

Sold mine on preloved a few weeks after my wedding, money came in handy for baby things as I fell pregnant on honeymoon. The seller sent me a photo of her in the dress a few months later which made me smile.

Ineedwinenow · 09/11/2022 10:58

Mines in the attic in a big bag gathering dust! It’s so sad to see such a beautiful dress never see the light of day but to be honest I have absolutely no idea what to do with it! We got married 12 years ago and styles have definitely changed too so I’m following this thread to see if anyone has any great suggestions

BobbinThreadbare123 · 09/11/2022 10:59

@Monkeytapper that's lovely to know someone else has looked fab in it too!

Mine:
Wedding 1 - sold it on Preloved.
Wedding 2 - it's hanging in the wardrobe but it is machine washable so I probably ought to wash it again and sell/donate. They take up so much room - no reason to keep it.

BadSkiingMum · 09/11/2022 11:01

A seamstress turned mine into a ball-gown about a year afterwards by adding a coloured layer to the skirt, then adding touches in the same colour to the bodice. Pleased I got to wear it twice.

Ultimately they are less significant than we think they are at the time.

TwoRockSalmonAndAHaporthOfChips · 09/11/2022 11:07

Mine wasn’t a big dress, but weddingy, and only cost £40. I never wore it again. It sat in my wardrobe for years but went mouldy when we lived in a damp house, and I threw it away without a second thought. Still married after 20 years, and it hasn’t caused me any grief knowing I don’t have it any more. My memories are in my head, not bound up in things.

StarboysMum · 09/11/2022 11:15

I got married 16 years ago and now have two teenage DDs. I'm 5ft 3 and a size 10/12.

As a newly wed, I was also unsure what to do with mine. I dithered for a couple of years, then looked to sell it, hoping to get about 40% back as it was still current. I'd put it on ebay with Buy it Now or Best Offer options. Someone offered me £30. It was about £700 originally. I decided it wasn't worth selling, so I just kept hold of it.

The darn thing accompanied us through several house moves and was always in the way. I hadn't paid for it to be boxed and cleaned (more expense!) so it was just on a hanger in a cover.

Recently I heard about wedding dresses being repurposed into gowns for babies born sleeping. What a lovely idea! However I couldn't find anywhere that was accepting gowns.

I also thought about giving it to a prom dress bank (and it could be dyed) but tbh I don't really like the idea of young girls dressed up in this way, and thought a wedding dress OTT for a prom.

During the last clear out, I decided it was to go. My girls weren't interested in it. I didn't try it on again. I posted it to Oxfam so I didn't have to see it in a local shop window.

If I had my time again, I'd have sold it straight away to recoup some of the outlay. It's just a dress. I have the photos and great memories of a wonderful day that was only the beginning of a journey. I wear my engagement and wedding rings every day; as material objects go these are what matter to me. I also have a wonderful DH and two beautiful DDs who bring me joy every day.

sonsmum · 09/11/2022 11:20

I just hung mine up with a protective zipped covering (not bothered to dry clean). I try it on once in a blue moon to see if it still fits (it does!) I bought a simple elegant off the peg dress, that I never intend to wear in public again, do not expect DD to wear it, knew it would never get turned into a christening gown, so am quite happy for it to languish upstairs. It's just a dress, the marriage is the valuable bit! I can't bring myself to give it away, and have the space to leaving it hanging up.

maddy68 · 09/11/2022 11:25

Mine is in the attic and has been there for a few decades. What a waste

notangelinajolie · 09/11/2022 11:27

Mine is in a sucky in bag under a bed somewhere.

Baconand · 09/11/2022 11:30

Cleaned and boxed in the proper tissue to
protect it. I was going to sell it but DH didn’t want me to. It lives under the bed.
We have since had a surprise DD so I am
now keeping it for her in vase she wants to something with it. I don’t imagine she will wear it exactly as is but it has beautiful lace and beading that she might want to use if she marries. So I feel more justified in keeping it now!

TheDogsMother · 09/11/2022 11:31

First one lived in the loft and when me and ex H split I gave it to Oxfam. It was a knee length one with layers of net in the skirt. I'd love to think a goth girl bought it, died it black and wore it with DMs 🤣🤣

Second one was a hand painted silk tea dress which I can wear again.

Twizbe · 09/11/2022 11:33

It was cleaned and put in a box which is now in the loft. I might get it out to show my daughter one day

Whatthejackdawsaw · 09/11/2022 11:36

Lives under the bed taking up far too much space, I'm not sure why I've kept it as whilst I do still love it I have no intention of wearing it again.

Trulyweird1 · 09/11/2022 11:36

My mum stored mine for years then when she was downsizing insisted I take it. I took it to the local charity shop.
It was lovely on its day (1980s) but was off the rack so by no means unique, it was also altered to fit a much perkier, more slender me. I hope someone had some fun with it, even as fancy dress.

showgirl63 · 09/11/2022 11:40

I gave mine to someone who wanted to get married but was on a tight budget - because it was Free to her she could afford to have it professionally fitted; she looked lovely

Zag29 · 09/11/2022 11:43

Mine is hanging in my wardrobe, I try it on every year on our anniversary! We're having a party for our 10th wedding anniversary next year and i'll be wearing it again (i'm just impressed it still fits!)

Grumpybutfunny · 09/11/2022 11:44

Mine was a fishtail with a layer of lace covered in pearls over the top. I paid a seamstress to make it into cushions for the spare bedroom bed. We still have the cushions and it's a nice memory to not have left in the loft out of sight.

A friend who had a more silky fitted dress had it framed (like a football shirt) and put it in their games room which I think is lovely if you have a thin enough dress.

TheIsaacs · 09/11/2022 11:49

ehb102 · 09/11/2022 10:53

Clean and boxed. GUILT in a box.

Does it bring me joy? No. Was it expensive? Yes. Is it unique? Yes, it was hand made for me. Will I ever wear it again? I hope not. Would I say to anyone else get rid of it if you want to? Yes. Marriage is still going btw.

They are just things. It's a much healthier approach to sell it IMHO than hoard it because of some connection with a dead mother (me again).

Agreed, (although not the dead mother part- I’m sorry for your loss @ehb102 )

mine is in a vacuum sealed bag, under the bed. It’s creased to hell, and actually I never got round to getting it dry cleaned or fixing the breakages on it.

I tried to donate it to a charity that makes dresses for still born babies from wedding dresses, but they never called me back. It will just sit there indefinitely, under the bed probably.

Caminante · 09/11/2022 11:52

Kept mine at my mum's house for a long time (she made it, bless her).

Post divorce, I kept thinking about it and decided to give to one of those charities that makes clothes for stillborn babies.

I actually regret it now 🥲🥲

My mum died a few years ago and I feel terrible that I gave away this lovely thing that she made with so much love.

DialsMavis · 09/11/2022 11:55

Mine was only about £60 from Ebay + alterations, so I gave it a spot clean and gave it to a charity shop. I kind of wish I had kept it to wear at Halloween or something but I hope it helped someone else have a lovely day on a tight budget.