Wedding dress : What to do after the wedding

Pics from left to right: Kuenzli Photographie | kreativ-wedding | davidandkathrin

Perhaps you have just returned from your honeymoon or destination wedding? The suitcases are in the hallway, the gifts are beautifully draped in the living room by your bridesmaids and groomsmen? And on the doorframe hangs the dinner jacket in its case, and next to it the wonderful wedding dress that still smells of Tuscany or the sea? The memories come tangibly back to you and you smile. And then you might ask yourself, "What do I do with my wedding dress?"

As wedding planners, we often hear this question and have therefore put together a few ideas for you. We hope to support you a little bit in deciding what to do with your wonderful dress.

Of course we have also thought about what to do with the Tuxedo of the Groom: get it clean, put it back into your wardrobe, get it out on the next occasion. As you see: piece of cake.

Storage of your wedding dress.

If you would like to store your dress, we have put together some very useful information.

You should protect your wedding dress from the following:

Dust

Direct sunlight

Humidity

Moths & the rest of the animal gang

Sharp temperature changes

Grease, dirt etc.

You should always pay attention to the factors mentioned above, no matter which storage option you choose. And please also choose a place for storage that takes the above factors into account.

To avoid dampness and fluctuating temperatures, choose a place in your home.

Cellars and attics should be avoided, depending on the standard of construction.

It is also recommended to air out the wedding dress once a year. Tips on how to combine this with a party will be given later.

Besides being a wedding celebrant and wedding planner, I am also a trained bespoke tailor and I can assure you: don't leave your beautiful wedding dress permanently hung up, it can easily deform depending on the weight. Therefore, a variation is certainly a beautiful box.

Wedding Dress Storage Boxes (pic Pinterest)

Selling the wedding dress - make another bride happy with it

Selling your wedding dress is a nice way to make someone else happy with it. Not every bride can afford a new dress. Therefore, a second hand dress is a WIN WIN situation for both parties.

There are plenty of suppliers of second hand dresses and they often take care of the cleaning. Or simply ask your bridal shop if they are interested in reselling your dress.

Donate your wedding dress

Donate your wedding dress to charity, there are many ways to do this.

Some that really touched us as wedding planners is The Angel Gown in the US, Herzenssache in Germany, and Engelskleider in Switzerland.

I'm sure you will find similar organizations within your surroundings, just search the web for it.

Wedding dress becomes christening gown

Having your wedding dress sewn into a christening gown is another great idea. Are you expecting a baby or in the middle of planning? Then this is a great way to add meaning to the dress. Simply a magical memory for every mother or even both parents (ideally, the groom liked the dress very much, too). Here are some patterns to whet your appetite for sewing. Of course there are countless more, just browse the web a little. Or simply ask your tailor of confidence.

Sew something out of your wedding dress

To stay with the sewing topic, there are many other possibilities for skilled hands. You can turn it into something you know you will use and love - or that someone else will use.

As you are likely to be working with a large amount of material, you can make a range of creative household items and accessories.

We are not only wedding planners, but Ivan as a bespoke tailor and Saskia as a designer, have put together a few ideas that you could realise from your dress.

Home decoration ideas

Cushions (for the living room, for your baby or a loved one).

Ring bearer cushions (maybe a girlfriend/boyfriend is getting married soon)

Tablecloths, table runners or napkins (here you have to pay close attention to the material of your dress)

Curtains

Clothes and accessories

Neckerchief

Pocketkerchief for him

Clutch

Necklace

Cocktail dress

Lingerie

There is more to it

Baby blanket

Bassinet cover

Child's costume (e.g. princess dress, mini wedding dress)

Doll clothes and accessories

Religious clothing and festive decorations

Dress for first communion

Christening dress

Christmas decoration

Christmas stocking

Pics Pinterest

How about a new color for your wedding dress

If you are sure you will never wear your dress again, but don't want to give it away or cut it up, you should dye it a new colour - this will transform your wedding dress into a formal dress suitable for many special occasions. We must warn you though: not all fabrics and embellishments are compatible with dyes (lace is permeable and won't absorb the dye, while a fabric like silk will usually dye well). You also need to make sure you have your dress cleaned before dyeing - stains could set in or worsen during dyeing. Talk to a trusted cleaner about whether the chemicals they use to wash your dress could possibly react with the dye or fabric of your dress - if so, this could definitely affect your plans, and it's wise to find out beforehand.

Shorten wedding dress

One of the biggest changes you can make, is to shorten your wedding dress.

Depending on the cut, volume and chosen length, it can have a completely different appearance. Because so many factors need to be taken into account, it is advisable to have the wedding dress resewn by a professional. You should only shorten the wedding dress yourself if you already have a lot of experience.

Before you have your wedding dress altered after the wedding, you can of course gather some inspiration first. Short wedding dresses are very suitable for this. The designers have already given a lot of thought to what looks good and you can see right away what you might like and what length works.

Of course, you can also have your wedding dress made into an evening dress in another way. You can find out what is possible by talking to your tailor. In this way, your beloved dress will quickly become suitable for everyday wear.

For an especially big transformation, you can combine both options - that is, shorten and dye your wedding dress. This way you can change your dream dress a lot after the wedding and perhaps wear it again more often on suitable occasions.

Trash the Dress

Some brides do an artistic photo shoot after the wedding that they call "trash the dress" - and no, that doesn't mean completely ruining the dress. It just means that you get your photo taken in a less formal setting than you might have done on the wedding day: You could go to the beach, a pool, a creek, a nearby park or even a crazy place like a fun fair, an arcade or a bowling alley. Think about which places are meaningful to you, fun and make you feel like a model for a day. You can, of course, clean out your dress, but that's not really necessary. We are happy to support the interested bride with our experience as wedding planners. Get in touch!

Pic Pinteres

Friends Sitcom pic by imdb.com

Host a wedding dress party

Are you and your friends obsessed with Friend's? Take a cue from the popular sitcom and host your own wedding dress party. Invite your girlfriends and ask them to wear their wedding dresses. This is a fun and creative way to breathe new life into your wedding dress after the wedding day. Throwing flowers is of course completely optional!

Wedding Dress Shooting with Girlfriends

Do you love photo shoots with your friends or have you always wanted to do one? Then take the special opportunity to do a wedding dress shoot when all the girls are married!

You can all wear your wedding dress again after the wedding and spend a wonderful afternoon together. Of course you can also bring out your bridal shoes and accessories that you wore at the wedding. The most important thing is to have fun!

There are many options for the location:

Park

Barn

Forest

Beach

For this special photo shoot, it is of course a good idea to book a professional photographer. If you share the costs, it will be a great experience with wonderful memories.

Or for the really crazy ones, at the places where the brides got married.

As wedding planners, we are happy to help you make this event a "one in a lifetime" memory.

Turn your wedding dress into art

Wedding dress framing has become increasingly popular in recent times. Keeping your wedding dress in a frame not only gives your wedding dress a beautiful home. It also allows you to look at it at any time and show it to others without having to get it out of a box every time. This option is a real eye-catcher in any case!here are now many ways to frame your wedding dress. You can have your own individual frame put together. You can choose between different sizes, frames, backgrounds and sometimes also different types of conservation.

Most wedding dress frames are very expensive. However, for the right storage of your wedding dress after the wedding, you should not save money in the wrong place. The special wedding dress frame fulfils important criteria through its dimensions and manufacture, in order to offer the wedding dress the right storage and a lot of protection.

If you want to have your wedding dress framed, you should pay particular attention to the right dimensions. In addition, the frames are often very heavy, so in most cases they are put up instead of hanging. A very nice place for this can be in the hallway, living room, bedroom or dressing room.

Framing by The Beautiful Frame Company