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What to Do With a Wedding Dress After the Wedding: Do’s and Don’ts

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There is no denying it – your wedding dress is one of the most important parts of your wedding. In fact, some might say that it’s even more important than the groom… (we’re joking. Kind of…).

Whether you opt for a budget dress or go all out and splurge on your dream gown, no expense spared, your dress holds a lot of sentimental value. 

If you’re unsure about what to do with your wedding dress after the wedding, here are some great options.

Read More: Wedding Flowers Preservation: Ideas, DIY Methods, & Professional Services

What to Do With Wedding Dress After Wedding

Let’s all agree on one thing – your wedding dress deserves better than just being hung up in a wardrobe and forgotten about, so let’s pinky promise not to do that!

Instead, you could:

Photography by Wildling Weddings

Keep Your Wedding Dress

Many brides can’t bear to part with such a monumental part of their wedding day, and we don’t blame them!

But unlike any other keepsake, your wedding dress will need a level of devotion to care to ensure it stays as pristine and fresh as the day you wore it.

Your first port of call will be to have your dress dry cleaned. This will remove any food/drink stains, and odours, such as perfume, cigarette smoke, and more, from your day of celebrating.

Often, many dry cleaners will return your dress packed or boxed in a way that is ideal for long-term storage, so it is worth doing a bit of research into local dry cleaners and getting a few recommendations from other brides.

Finally, dry cleaning items such as wedding dresses can be costly – but is non-negotiable for those wanting to keep their dress for a long time, so consider keeping aside a small chunk of your wedding budget. 

Many dry cleaners have wedding dress packages that range from circa £180 – £225, which are constructed around the type of dress you have – particularly those with multiple layers or nets/tulle. 

Frame It

A work of art deserves to be framed, right?!

But in all seriousness, wedding dress framing is a practical and beautiful option for preserving your gown, while being reminded daily of your magical wedding. 

Also, if the idea of DIY framing sounds like a mammoth and tricky task – fear not! There are many wedding dress framing companies that will do it for you. Most companies will offer a bespoke service to suit each individual style of dress. 

Costs can start at around £1,800, so again, keep aside a chunk of your wedding budget to ensure the framing is done professionally by a reputable company that won’t cause any damage to your gown.

Always do your homework and ensure the company has an insurance or guarantee policy to protect your dress.

Hand It Down

It was ‘standard procedure’ in traditional post-wedding history that wedding dresses belonged to your mother, which belonged to her mother, and so on. 

Nowadays, this tradition isn’t so commonplace, as brides prefer to choose their own dress of a size and design that is more authentic to them. But it is an option and can be a precious heirloom for generations to come.

Re-Use It

Why buy a dress you only plan on wearing once, are we right?!

Sometimes a big ‘meringue’ dress can be a bit OTT for other functions or parties, but more relaxed ‘neutral’ styles of gowns can easily be used for future events.

Heck – some women even repurpose their wedding dress as a Halloween costume. Think Corpse Bride or Zombie Bride and you’ve nailed the costume game!

Photography by Wildling Weddings

Sell Your Wedding Dress

Many brides are willing to spend a lot of money on a dress they’ll only wear once because they want the perfect look and feel of their wedding day gown, and we absolutely get that.

However, a lot of money is still a lot of money, and selling your wedding dress can be a great (and sustainable) way of allowing another bride to find her dream dress at less cost. 

Everyone’s a winner!

Donate Your Wedding Dress

The ultimate good deed!

Most charity shops will gladly take a wedding dress, and this can be a dream come true for any future bride planning her day on a tighter budget.

Keepsakes Made From Wedding Dresses

With sites like Pinterest, the world is your oyster in terms of seeking ideas for repurposing your wedding dress – and the options are limitless!

One of the most sustainable things you can do with old clothing is to upsell it into a keepsake that will be put to better use than being stuffed away in the wardrobe.

Because most wedding dresses are made from high-quality materials, such as lace, satin, and silk, they often have more ‘life’ in them than man-made fabrics, such as polyester – albeit, they can be more delicate too.

Whether you choose to upcycle your dress yourself or hire someone else to do it, there is a range of items that make for perfect wedding dress keepsakes, including:

  • Cushions
  • Blankets/quilts
  • Stuffed toys
  • Bags/purses
  • Christening dresses
  • Jewellery
  • Decor
  • Hair/clothing accessories
  • Gifts

Photography by Wildling Weddings

Wedding Dress Preservation

Whatever you decide to do with your wedding dress, post-ceremony, you will need to keep wedding dress preservation at the forefront of your mind.

As mentioned earlier, your first port of call will be to find a reputable dry cleaning service – preferably one that uses gentle products that are eco-friendly. This will need to be done before storing.

While you can attempt to clean or treat stains on your dress yourself, it isn’t overly advisable – especially if the gown received a lot of action when in use!

When it comes to wedding dress preservation, you will need to:

  • Handle your dress with care, especially when delivering it to a cleaning service, moving house, etc.
  • Get it cleaned as soon as possible, especially if the dress is stained.
  • Store in an acid-free container, box, or tissue paper. Avoid plastic too.
  • Resist the urge to vacuum pack your dress, as this can encourage mould growth.
  • Make sure your hands are clean when touching the fabric to avoid oil, dirt, or chemicals becoming present on the fabric. White gloves are encouraged.
  • Store the dress in a cool, dry area. Avoid sunlight or damp areas.
  • Check the dress’ care instructions.
  • Store the dress in products designed for wedding dress preservation.
  • Avoid storing the gown in the attic. 
  • Resist the urge to hand up the dress in a closet with no covering. Just remember – moths find fabrics like lace and satin particularly palatable! 

Should I Dry Clean My Wedding Dress?

The short answer is a resounding yes!

Wedding dresses aren’t run-of-the-mill garments – they’re the star of the show on the happiest day of your life, so spending a little extra time and money on having your dress dry cleaned by a professional company will ensure your dress looks its best for years to come.

A reputable dry cleaning company will understand the delicate nature of wedding dress fabrics, such as silk and lace, and will ensure stains are removed in a way that won’t harm, discolour, or erode the material.

This is also important for gowns that have a lot of embellishments, such as beads, sequins, pearls, and other delicate additions. 

When Should I Clean My Wedding Dress?

When it comes to having your wedding dress cleaned, the sooner, the better – especially if the dress has makeup, wine, food, or any other stains present.

We recommend getting your dress dry cleaned within a few days, post-wedding.

Wedding Dress Preservation - What Not to Do

Avoid the following to ensure ultimate preservation:

  • Don’t keep your gown in plastic for long-term storage
  • Don’t handle your dress with unwashed hands. 
  • Don’t put it in the washing machine!
  • Don’t store your dress in your wardrobe without appropriate covering
  • Don’t wrap your white wedding dress in black tissue.
  • Don’t store your dress in a damp area, or an area prone to heat or sunlight.
  • Don’t store your dress in cardboard.

FAQ

Unlike most other types of clothing, a wedding dress can be particularly sensitive to mistreatment or lack of care, owing to the delicate fabrics used, such as lace, silk, and satin. This means a little TLC is in order to maintain the beauty of your gown.

As referenced above there are certain steps to ensuring the well-being of your wedding dress, such as following the recommendations on the label, having it dry cleaned, and storing it away from direct sunlight.

As we spoke of earlier, there are many options when it comes to your wedding dress that don’t involve it gathering dust in your wardrobe or getting ravaged by moths!

You can reuse it, repurpose it, sell it, hand it down to the next generation, donate it, or turn it into a keepsake or a piece of art.

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