After typing #weddingdress on Instagram on multiple occasions, scrolling through Pinterest and visiting various bridal shops, you have finally found THE dress. Your friends gasped, your family cried, your husband swooned, and you just wish you could wear it every day. This of course is completely impractical (and will probably attract some very strange looks!)

So, what to do with the dress now?

Everyone feels differently about what they wish to do with their dress after the big day. Here are just a few examples.

• Boxing your wedding dress. If you’re anything like me, there is no way I will be parting with my wedding dress. A few days after my wedding day, my Mum had my dress cleaned, pressed and placed in an acid-free box. I may not have looked at my dress since my wedding 5 years ago, but it gives me peace of mind to know it’s beautifully clean and ready if I ever did want to show it to others, or just gaze at it again to remind myself of my wonderful day.
• Donate your dress to a worthy cause. Donating your wedding dress to a good cause can make a big difference in someone’s life and help to make you feel good at the same time. There are plenty of charities that accept wedding dress donations. Please find some examples at the bottom of this page.
• Using the fabric to create something new. If you don’t like the idea of retiring your wedding dress after wearing it once, consider using the fabric to have it made into another garment, maybe a christening gown for your child, or something for a friend or family member. This is a lovely example of turning it in to something that’s extra special and will continue to be loved and enjoyed by people you know.
• Selling your dress. Give your wedding dress a new life after you’ve worn it for your big day. Selling your dress allows someone else to enjoy it as much as you did, and gives some extra money in your purse too!

Whatever you decide to do, just know that it doesn’t have to be the end of the road for your beloved wedding dress.

Charities that accept wedding dresses;

Red Cross

Cherished Gowns