What did you do with your wedding dress?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine is hanging in the closet. It is pretty. I still love it. I bought it in 1997 and paid $400 for it -- it was the last one and it was a small size. I doubt my girls will ever want to wear it, but I don't want to get rid of it either.

I almost choke when I watch that show on TLC where people spend crazy sums on wedding dresses. I watched one the other night where she spend $13,000 on a dress. Why wouldn't you use the money as a down payment on a house?

Right? I paid $500 for mine in 2006. And it was beautiful. I will probably never get rid of mine either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend of mine used her wedding dress as the material for her granddaughters christening gowns. They were able to get 2 or 3 dresses out of it.

Neat idea!

[Anonymous]

Doubt that my daughter will want to wear it so I gave it to Goodwill but kept my veil. Also have the crystal ornament from the top of our cake and many other mementos.

[Anonymous]

Mine is sitting in a box, where it's been for the last 13 years. I can't imagine my DD wanting to wear it but I suppose I'll continue to hold on to it forever until she has a chance to use it or not. I agree with the PPs who are horrified at how much people spend on dresses these days. I remember telling my mom when I got engaged that i was going to rent a dress, the same way my now-DH was renting a tuxedo, and she wouldn't hear of it. I ended up spending $800 (well, she did, she insisted on buying it) and I was sick over spending so much on a dress that would be worn for one day. I watch Say Yes to the Dress with a sick fascination for those women who spend upwards of $1500 for a dress, let alone the ones with the $10.000+ budgets. And apparently if you walk into Kleinfeld's with "only" a $1500 budget, they hate you b/c they barely have any inventory below $2000!

[Anonymous]

Sold it for $2K! (Bought for 6.)

[Anonymous]

I feel that way about flowers. I know people who have spent thousands of dollars on flowers for their wedding. At least you'll have lots of pictures of you in your dress. The flowers at people's tables will probably just take up one corner of a page in a wedding album tucked under your bed.

[Anonymous]

I got mine "preserved" at the dry cleaners, so it's in a box in our basement closet. I married in 1998...and I have no daughters (and I'm likely done having kids)...so it's likely just going to stay in the box until I die and my heirs toss it in the trash or something.

If anyone doesn't want to hang on to theirs, and wants to do something useful with it, I like the idea of this organization http://www.stanthonysbridal.com/St_Anthonys_Bridal_a_501c3_Organization/home.html

I have no personal experience with St. Anthonys--nor do I know anyone who does--I've just heard of it and think it sounds nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's hanging in my closet. Will probably wear it to a formal wedding this summer (and I have worn it probably 4-5 times since my wedding). It's a peach color and has spaghetti straps, and almost 10 years later I still love it! It cost about $300.

Me too (although mine was black), but my ribcage has expanded since I got pregnant, so I don't think it will ever fit again.

[Anonymous]

You could always donate to Brides Against Breast Cancer. That's where I bought my dress. Cost less than my DH's suit and the money went to charity.

[Anonymous]

I still love mine too. I definitely do not understand spending thousands on a dress when there are perfectly beautiful wedding dresses for hundreds. But then, the former are probably headed for a lifetime of money problems if they can't prioritize properly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could always donate to Brides Against Breast Cancer. That's where I bought my dress. Cost less than my DH's suit and the money went to charity.

This is what I did too!