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I still have one (okay, maybe several, but one for now) very big question.
What should I do with my gown?
I was busy getting married when we did the Bees’ Dress Budget Series. Here’s a little background on my dress.
Dress: Alfred Angelo 1136 in Light Gold purchased at Formal Elegance, Columbus, Ga
Cost: $500 + $65 alterations
Not my favorite picture, but it does show off the dress well.
Anyway… I didn’t spend very much on my dress. Well, not in wedding dress terms, anyway. Of course, Mr. CC sees it differently. He sees a $500 dress that will never be worn again. And $500 is a lot to him.
I’ve tried to discuss this with him and he is no help, whatsoever. Except one thing is painfully obvious: he does not want to spend any more money on this dress.
So, I’ve done some thinking, and here’s what I think my options are. Perhaps you all have more options.
Preserve it. This will cost money. I’m also not sure of the purpose. Sure, I’d love to still have my mom’s wedding gown (she preserved it and a naughty kitty got in the closet, scratched through the plastic and peed on it). But am I really going to let Mini play in it later? I don’t know. Will she be sentimental enough to wear it when she gets married? I don’t know that either, but since she’s got my blood running through her, I tend to think not.
Sell it. I’m not terribly fond of this plan. I’m not sure why. It just doesn’t feel right. Plus, it will need to be cleaned. We tried to take it to the cleaner already, and they wanted $225 to clean it and Mr. CC almost stroked out right there.
Donate it to Charity. If I do this, it’s going to Brides Against Breast Cancer. If there was a Brides Against Alzheimer’s it would probably go there, but I’m a big fan of ta-tas, too. (BTW, I totally want one of those “Save the Ta-Tas” magnets for my car.)
Clean it and have it made into a christening gown. I can’t remember where I heard this idea, but I kinda like it. But I think my mom still has my christening gown, and it would be nice for future children to wear the same one I did (or the same one Mr. CC did, if his parents could find it). And, traditionally, christening gowns are white. And so are wedding dresses.
Clean it and have it made into an Anniversary Dress. A possibility, but that’s a pretty fancy gown. Maybe I could turn it into a cocktail length gown and dye it like Sherry did over at This Young House. (This may happen to my getaway dress cause it’s really cute, but I’m totally not going to wear it again in the color that it is.)
So, hive, what do you think I should do with my gown? Or, do you have a better idea?
Ok so there are many options, but I am a big fan of donating it. But that is because I am a bride who can’t afford a dress to wear for our ceremony. But I know there are a lot of people out there that can use a dress. I have thought if I can find one that I can afford I would probably put it on here and give it to someone who can use it. I would post an ad in the free section of the dress classifieds on here. Give it a time line and ask for peoples stories and then decided who you would donate it to, or just charge them the shipping so it doesn’t cost more for you.
Selling it is a great idea to but I have come to find it takes a while and a lot of emails and headaches that never come through. But who knows you may get lucky and sell it right away. What ever makes you feel good:)
By the way you looked beautifull in this dress and it is truly a beautifull gown whoever gets it or buys it will be blessed:)
You and your dress are gorgeous!
I also like the idea of a christening gown! I haven’t ever thought or heard of that! But I will most likely preserve mine.
I am a fan of donating or selling it. (But only sell it if you can then recoup the costs of of cleaning it.) Personally, I think turning it into a christening dress would cost too much and be a big waste, preserving it is a little bit silly, and you’re right about it being a tad fancy for an anniversary dress.
I’d sell it. You should get some more quotes on how much it costs to clean. Maybe you could find a cheaper deal. You can more than likely recoup the cleaning costs plus make a bit of a profit.
Many dresses can be cleaned by hand at home. My mom has handwashed numerous wedding dresses in her bathtub at home…you may look into that option. Usually dry clean only dresses can be handwashed.
Have a quilt made out of it. You still have your wedding gown, plus an attractive addition to your bed.
I struggle with this question too. Mine was alittle cheaper and yet I don’t feel like I can just get rid of it.
I still havent figured what I will do with mine, and I got married over a year ago. I think I will keep it… and maybe change it for I can have both option D and E
I would definitely donate it. I donted mine to Brides for Breast Cancer without hesitation. The gown doesn’t need to be cleaned to send it to them, although they do request a $40 donation (which was less than a third of the cost to clean my dress).
You might look at how much it is to just clean it. Much of the preservation can be done by you at home. Look around the web for ideas on preserving textiles. It’s not terribly difficult.
And when asking for quotes, call it a prom dress. Just like before the wedding, costs will be higher if you tell them it’s a wedding dress.
But first, you have to decide just what level of preservation you want. If you want it available for your grandchildren to wear, then the money is worth it to have it professionally done.
I cannot believe that Brides for Breast Cancer requires a donation to GIVE your wedding gown to THEM! Unbelievable.
I would either run my own “recession special” and put something on the boards asking for people’s stories (as someone else mentioned earlier) or I would sell it and note that cleaning was at seller’s discretion. If you check out wedding gowns on Craigslist - many of them are not cleaned. I think if you discount it slightly from a normal used gown price, you will be fine!
I’m trying to make this decision too! My dress is hanging in my old closet at my parents house awaiting my decision. I have NO idea yet!
@jaclyn: I don’t think Brides against Breast Cancer requires a donation?
http://bridesagainstbreastcancer.org/#donategown
They may request one, but it doesn’t look like it’s required… but I don’t have direct experience with a donation, so can’t say for sure.
I’ve been saying that I would like to donate or sell mine but I’m not actually married yet. It seems like lots of people have problems deciding what to do with theirs. I’d say, go with your gut.
I think, from what I’ve read in your posts, that you’re not too sentimental about the gown itself, so donating or selling it would be the way to go - and if recouping your investment isn’t your goal, then I think donating it will give you a nice warm feeling, especially knowing the happiness it will continue to bring the next woman who gets married in it.
I donated my old dress to brides against breast cancer, and while they request a donation for cleaning &storing & transporting the dress, it’s NOT required. I couldn’t afford to donate money too, so just the dress they got!
It is so awesome to see how many brides out there are willing to donate their dresses to make other brides dreams come true who couldn’t do it otherwise. That is me for sure. That is the only way I may be able to get a dress and still don’t have one.
The breast cancer charity is great and I love that they have done that, but I think it would be great to see people reach out to the everyday women that just needs a little help. I myself was diagnosed with thyroid cancer just a while back so I definetly so appreciate the brides against breast cancer.
I would love to see this site at somepoint put up a donation section so that women can post their dresses that they are willing to donate to a needy woman and then they can pick who they think needs their dress the most and know in the hearts that they are making someones dreams come true that may not without their help.
Plus you can keep in touch and see what happiness that dress brings in their wedding:) Thank you to all out there who do donate your dresses for whatever reason, you are making a big difference to people in so many ways:)
Sometimes over at http://www.apracticalwedding.com Meg will list dresses for girls that want to pass their dress on to another girl who might not be able to afford a dress, etc. Just another option if you are thinking about donating. The girls who have done this have required that the girl who receives the dress has to send pictures showing the new wearer in the dress.
http://www.apracticalwedding.com/2009/05/dress-offered-iii.html
I like donating it to BABC or to someone that can’t afford a gown. If you can’t bear to part w/ it, though, along the lines of a christening gown, you can also use it for baby blankets. Our kids won’t be christened, so that’s not an option for us, but I’m definitely using the long train of my lace gown for baby blankets. This would also enable you to give one to Mini CC (assuming she’s already been christened). If the train is long enough, you can just use the fabric from the train, and keep the dress part, so that Mini and other kids can wear it, or other aspects could be incorporated into future bridal gowns if your children or grandchildren choose.
I am going ot check out the practical wedding website, thanks julie for posting about that:)
It is so awesome to see how many brides out there are willing to donate their dresses to make other brides dreams come true who couldn’t do it otherwise. That is me for sure. That is the only way I may be able to get a dress and still don’t have one.
The breast cancer charity is great and I love that they have done that, but I think it would be great to see people reach out to the everyday women that just needs a little help. I myself was diagnosed with thyroid cancer just a while back so I definetly so appreciate the brides against breast cancer.
I would love to see this site at somepoint put up a donation section so that women can post their dresses that they are willing to donate to a needy woman and then they can pick who they think needs their dress the most and know in the hearts that they are making someones dreams come true that may not without their help.
Plus you can keep in touch and see what happiness that dress brings in their wedding:) Thank you to all out there who do donate your dresses for whatever reason, you are making a big difference to people in so many ways:)
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Mrs. Crab Cake, Columbus, GA Age and Occupation: 25, Registered Nurse Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Director of Education and Living History for a museum Engagement Date: April 6, 2008 Wedding Date: June, 2009 Blogging Since: November 26, 2008 Venue: Holy Family Catholic Church, reception: National Infantry Museum About Me: I'm a perfectionist trying to balance two jobs, motherhood, my craft obsession, and wedding planning. I am obsessed with all things wedding, especially creative ideas for saving money and DIY projects. A Southern Belle at heart, I love anything southern, especially sweet tea, grits, afternoon thunder storms, crab cakes, and good old Southern hospitality. Mr. Crab Cake and I are planning a vintage inspired wedding with tons of Southern flare (can y'all say that with a thick Southern drawl?).
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