What will you do with your wedding dress after the wedding?
I got to wondering on this topic when I went to a wedding photography training day and the model was wearing her own wedding dress. I would love to have occasion to wear mine again, or even just take it out of the gigantic box it is stored in. So what to do…
One couple has approached me to do post wedding pictures of them in their wedding clothes with her horse (who cannot be trusted to behave on the day). Better still we will be shooting the photos on the beach! If there is a location/situation you would really want to be photographed in, and it is not practical to do it on the day, why not do it afterwards when you are still glowing from your honeymoon?
An extreme version of this would be the ‘Trash the Dress‘ approach introduced in the US a few years ago. Photos can be taken in urban environments, beaches, in woodland, anywhere you fancy. The one thing you don’t have to do is worry about getting the dress dirty. I have seen images of women literally laying down and letting a stream run over them, wedding dress and all.
Trash The Dress beach shoot image by Simon Taylor
You could sell your dress through an online auction or the classifieds. After all, you have your wonderful photographs and memories of the day, and it could be another bride’s dream dress too.
Another option would be to donate to a charity shop. Wedding dresses sell well, you can help the charity and your dress will make someone else’s day special.
Most brides opt to have the dress professionally cleaned and boxed. I for one can’t seem to part with mine, but it seems such a waste.
What are your thoughts? Will you keep your dress, or do you have other plans for it after the wedding?
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Received via e-mail, I just had to share:
I have a response from my mother-in-law saying what she did with her wedding dress – first part is pretty tame, second part STILL gets me!
****
I turned the dress material into a long-sleeved blouse – very pretty white flowered cotton lawn. The lining (sort of nylon type fabric) was put to much more interesting use – cut up into panels and sewn together to make a drogue. …Its a sort of parachute shaped thing to deploy behind a boat to slow it down. Small parachute obviously – I wasnt that big!! But it set the scene for the rest of my life really didnt it ? Love me, love my fishing !!!!!! ****
I still think that’s a horrific thing to have done!!!
Axx
I am not sure if anyone will top the ‘Wedding dress made into boat parachute’, but feel free to try!
Purchasing a wedding dress is one of the most important decisions a bride-to-be can make. There are so many options out there that she should take a lot of time making the very best decision. Thank you for your guidence in your site!