Article by Johanna Powers of Hope’s Bridal

You said “yes” to the dress, wowed your guests, and have the pictures to prove just how amazing you looked. That gown likely was the most expensive article of clothing you’ve ever purchased, and one that carries a great deal of emotion and memories.

Now every time you open your closet, you’re wondering “What do I do with this dress?” We have a few ideas for those of you who have a new last name and a beautiful (though likely dirty) wedding dress on your hands!

Preserve It

After spending the money and creating lasting memories in the gown, most women want to hold onto their dresses and protect them for the future.  If you can envision your future daughter playing dress-up in your gown and maybe even walking down the aisle in it someday, you should consider PRESERVING your dress.

We can help you do that at Hope’s.  We work with the most well-respected wedding gown preservation service in the country, a business that has provided this service since 1913!  Wedding Gown Preservation Co. provides a kit which we will help you prepare and ship.  In a few weeks, your gown will return perfectly cleaned, pressed, and displayed in a keepsake box.

Our brides have been extremely satisfied with the results and highly recommend using this service.  The kit (including all shipping, processing, and service) is normally priced at $199, but we offer a $30 certificate to Hope’s brides as a wedding gift.  You can also preserve accessories like your veil and belt with your gown.  A certain number of items are accepted without an additional fee.

Donate It

If you are not sentimentally attached to the gown and would like to see it do some good, consider DONATING it.  We like to support several organizations when we donate discontinued stock wedding gowns.

One of our current favorite causes benefits families who are grieving the loss of a baby.  We work with Lila’s Dresses in the Quad Cities area and St. Luke’s Center for Women and Children in Cedar Rapids (call (319) 369-7580).  Both organizations redesign wedding dresses into beautiful “angel gowns” for infants who are stillborn, providing a small comfort to the families.

The Cinderella Project gives free prom dresses to girls in foster care. I regularly volunteer with this program, and the girls go crazy over bridal gowns that make them feel like princesses! You can email Johanna@HopesBridal.com to arrange a donation.

Brides Across America is a non-profit that provides wedding gowns for active military brides. They accept used gowns up to four years old. Additionally, there are a number of stores across the country that resell donated gowns to support missions such as sex-trafficking and breast cancer. If you have a cause you care about, there is a good chance you can find a way to use your gown to support it!

Get Creative

If you want the chance to use this once-in-a-lifetime dress again, consider just having a little FUN! Here are some ideas, but get creative!

• Schedule a trash the dress session, in which you take photos doing anything you would never expect to do in a wedding dress!  (Go swimming?  Hike a mountain?  Create some wearable art?)
• Re-purpose your dress for Halloween or another costume party.  Perhaps you will be a Bride of Frankenstein or dye the gown to create a whole new look!
• Schedule a girls’ night with a bridal theme!  Have all your friends get decked out in their wedding dresses or old bridesmaid dresses.  Share some wine and host a mini dance party at your home, or be brave and head out on the town!
• Create a tradition with your hubby.  Vow to wear your wedding dress on your anniversary every year for dinner at home or a picture somewhere special!
• Consider organizing a fundraiser fashion-show or historic display of wedding dresses. Get all the ladies from your church or other organization to model or display their gowns to show changing styles through the years.       How fun to share something so special with different generations!

Do you have any other ideas of what to do with your wedding dress after the wedding?  Please share!

Hope’s Bridal is a family owned-and-operated business with locations in the Village of East Davenport and outside Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It offers a wide selection of top designer and exclusive styles for the entire wedding party.

Johanna Powers grew up in the business, and continues to work alongside her parents, Diane and Mark, and sister, Ariel. Her one-year-old daughter is learning the ropes as the third generation!

This guest post is part of our Vendors We Love series. Weddings By Carue is not a paid affiliate of Hope’s Bridal or any associated companies. Know of a vendor we should know about? Email us at amanda@weddingsbycarue.com and share the love!