10 fun things to do with your wedding dress AFTER your big day

Trash or treasure? If you’re anything like most brides, you probably spent weeks poring over decadent gowns and beautiful ballroom dresses before finding “the ONE”, and even more on having it altered to accentuate your figure. But now the wedding excitement is over and you’ve adjust to married bliss, have you thought about what you’ll do with your dress? For some, it just doesn’t seem right to box it up and consign it to the back of the wardrobe, whereas others develop a sentimental attachment and want to keep it beautifully preserved forever. If you’re having trouble deciding, here are a few creative alternatives you could consider.

Trash it in the Name of Art

Those Americans sure know a thing or two when it comes to post-modernist art, especially when it involves a lavish wedding dress! “Trash that Dress”, also known as “Drown the Gown” and “Rock the Frock” in some parts, is a nouveau form of photography art that involves soiling your dress by any means possible, and capturing you wearing the end result as a memento of your first wedding anniversary! Run through muddy fields, prance around in the sea, or organise a paint fight among your bridesmaids, there’s no end to the myriad of dress-wrecking ideas to choose from. Of course, what you do with the address afterwards is at your own discretion!

Re-purpose it For a Ball or Grand Occasion

You only need to look back over pictures of this year’s Oscars to see that wedding dress styles are perfect for black tie occasions. And if you’re one of those girls who’s always dreamt of attending a real-life ball, your wedding dress could give you the perfect excuse to attend one! Transform your dress with the aid of some clothing dye in your washing machine or bathtub, then enlist the help of a seamstress friend to add embellishments or detailing to alter the style of the dress. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you could even opt to have the gown taken in so it looks more like a red-carpet column gown, á la Kate Hudson or Winslet!

Auction it For A Worthwhile Cause

If you aren’t too fussed about getting a return on your original investment, and your gown is either designer or custom-made, you might want to consider auctioning it off to benefit your favourite charity. Some global charities, such as Oxfam, will even auction it on your behalf! Be aware that if you enlist the help of your local auction house to sell the dress, you will be liable for a final commission based on the price it sells for. Online auctioning is a cheaper, and less stressful option, and guaranteed to get far more attention from a wider audience. Boost interest by creating an event on your Facebook page, or asking friends to re-tweet the news about your planned auction several weeks in advance.

Trade it For Designer Goodies

Does you yearn for a pair of Jimmy Choos to call your own? If you’d love to bag yourself a pair of designer shoes, or a gorgeous limited edition handbag for that matter, there is hope – if you’re willing to trade your wedding dress. A plethora of swap-shops and websites have sprung up in recent years for ladies who love designer clothing, but don’t quite have the budget to afford anything with a 5-figure price tag. They work on the principle of swapping; you post a picture of your wedding dress, coupled with an enticing description, and ladies bid on your dress with offers of potentially swappable designer gear. You can also contact other posters if they’ve listed something you’d love, and see if they’d be interested in doing a swap for your dress. It’s worthwhile checking out the “Wanted” section too, since there is always someone looking for a wedding gown!

Transform it into An Heirloom

It might seem a little early to be thinking about the pitter patter of tiny feet, but if you intend on having children, your wedding gown could be put to good use for future Christening outfits. Recycling your gown for a Christening outfit is a fabulous idea if you want to pass down a little family history to the children. Those teeny outfits could even become an heirloom, re-purposed by your children for the Christenings of their own offspring. Imagine them wearing the remnants of your wedding gown. Now that’s one story to tell the grandchildren!

Cash in On Your Investment

Much as you probably won’t want to hear it, your beautiful dress depreciates in value almost as soon as you’ve said “I do” – unless of course its from the collection of a notable designer, and has since become hard to find. If you are thinking about selling your dress, don’t set your sights on Ebay as a primary outlet. There is so much competition among retailers, and even seamstresses from the Middle East, that you’ll never get anywhere near the asking price let alone the reserve. Instead, ring around a few consignment shops and places specialising in the hire of formal wear. They’re almost always on the look-out for high quality gowns to add to their collections, and are usually willing to negotiate a great deal!

Use the Fabric For Decorative Mementoes

If you can’t bear to part with your dress, but don’t have the storage space to keep it in its entirety, why not have it transformed into little keepsakes and decorative cushions for around the home? Dresses embellished with appliqué and lace make for wonderful photo album covers and boudoir cushions for the marital bed. Every time you look at them you’ll be reminded of that momentous day that changed your life forever! Another emerging trend is the use of wedding dresses to create thank you mementoes for guests, such as small bears and scented sachets for wardrobes and drawers. Lavender is a wonderful natural plant, that when dried, will emit a beautiful natural scent for years and years!

Give it Pride of Place in Your Guest Room

For some women, parting with their wedding dress is simply out of the question. And who can blame them? It’s one of the key elements of your wedding day you get to keep hold of, and aside from the photos, is a staunch reminder of how glamorous and beautiful you felt on the most important day of your life. If space is limited, consider making your wedding dress a part of the furniture. You can pick up second-hand tailor’s dummies for just a few dollars in thrift shops, and they make for the perfect base on which to hang your exhibit. Minimise the need for regular laundering by placing your dummy or mannequin in a room where there is less likely to be frequent human traffic, such as a guest room or conservatory.

Create A Memory Quilt

A memory quilt is a blanket or throw-over made from the remnants of clothing and other materials which have particular significance to a family. Traditionally, memory quilts were made from the garments of a deceased family member, and added to over the years by further generations. The modern interpretation is a little more cheerful. You collect scraps of material from dresses and garments that represent significant milestones in your lifetime. These could be your wedding, the birth of your first child, a partner’s promotion, or your son’s graduation. Each slip of material is cut into a square and sewn as an addition to the quilt, which will eventually represent a timeline of landmark events and achievements that have occurred during your journey as a married couple.

Recycle the Bustier

Two-piece dresses have remained consistently on trend in recent years, and many brides are now realising they can simply re-use the bustier to add a touch of glamour to other outfits. Wear with your day suit for your work’s Christmas bash; vamp it up with some red dye for a Halloween outfit, or simply teem it with a pair of smart jeans for a night out with the girls – it’s a look that never goes out of fashion!