Post # 1
Member
7975 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
My dress was not expensive, is completely filthy (we walked from our ceremony to reception and it was about half an inch too long, plus my bustle got totally ripped out while dancing, so it’s grosssssss underneath), and I don’t think it’s even worth the cost of dry cleaning, to be really honest.
I’ve thought about donating it, but I would have to clean it first, and possibly repair the underskirt where the bustle tore out, and I’m not sure it’s worth the cost to me. I can easily see spending more to get it ready to donate than I spent on the dress itself!
So, I was thinking, “Why not trash it?” It’s already semi-trashed, so I might as well have another fun photoshoot next summer when it’s warm enough to get in the water, right? 🙂
Anyway, it got me thinking – what do you do with the dress post-TTD?
Post # 3
Member
1315 posts
Bumble bee
My plan, if the dress survives the wedding day well, is to have it cleaned, then have the skirt cut down to make a christening gown for kids. That’s the plan anyway!
Post # 4
Member
8351 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
Imagining what yours must look like, I would try to salvage what I could from it and then make something with the salvagable parts; maybe some throw pillows for the bed or a baby blanket/bonnet, a christening gown; something.
Post # 5
Member
277 posts
Helper bee
I am really sentimental, so if my dress survives my wedding day then I will clean it and preserve it.
Post # 6
Member
7975 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@noritake22: I had thought about trying to use the fabric for something, but the construction of the dress itself would make that tough, I think – it’s a lot of separate pieces of fabric sewn together… hard to describe, let me see if I’ve got a picture I can show you 🙂
See how the skirt is strips of fabric sewn togeher (in slants)?
Post # 7
Member
7975 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@midnight17: I think that’s part of what I’m not sure about – I’m totally NOT a sentimental person at all! But I also feel very weird with the idea of crumpling up my wedding dress and tossing it in a dumpster somewhere…
Post # 8
Member
8351 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@ddw: You could still take parts of it and make some pillows out of it. Pillows don’t have to be single peices of fabric. Another thought, you could cut part of it out and put it in a picture frame by itself or with some small momentos from your wedding.
Post # 9
Member
10216 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
I hope to give mine to a charity that gives wedding dresses to women in Haiti. I think it is wonderful and the founder said that the women are so very greatful because they don’t have much.
Post # 10
Member
151 posts
Blushing bee
I haven’t done anything with my dress yet. Might donate it, or try to sell it. The thing is that I don’t want to pay to have it dry cleaned. It didn’t get very dirty at all at the wedding, but I wonder who will want to buy a dress that isn’t dry cleaned?
Post # 11
Member
7975 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@EmEv: My thoughts exactly! It’s not worth the cost of dry cleaning, but I can’t do anything with it until it’s been cleaned…
Post # 12
Member
1600 posts
Bumble bee
@ddw: even Oprah seems to be in shock haha.
Post # 13
Member
2343 posts
Buzzing bee
@ceamoste: Yes! Oprah is all, “OMG look at this dress!”
I would cut a clean, relatively hidden strip that could be used to wrap your daughter’s bouquet with at her wedding, if she so chooses. And then take it to Goodwill – I think they will try to clean stuff that they feel like might be worth salvaging, so it gives it more hope of a future life than tossing it out!
Post # 14
Member
277 posts
Helper bee
I did a TTD and it’s fine, could probably be dry cleaned or at least pressed. I don’t think it’s even worth selling because it’s an old Paloma Blanca from a year ago and I don’t see a point in selling it for a few hundred bucks. So it will probably hang in my closet year after year. Maybe I should preserve it…hmmm