What do you do with your wedding dress after the wedding?
The party is over, the guests have gone, and the dress is lying over a chair with grass on the hem and red wine somewhere on the skirt. Most brides don't think about the dress again until months later. That is a mistake, and it is easy to avoid.
Get it cleaned quickly
Send the dress for cleaning within a couple of weeks. Sweat, white wine and oil from make-up are invisible at first, but they oxidise and turn into yellow and brown stains that won't come out once they have been there for months. Tell the dry cleaner what is on the dress and where. Red wine on the lap, grass on the hem, make-up at the neckline.
Never wash a wedding dress yourself. Lace, beading, a built-in corset and layers of tulle can't go in a machine, and even hand washing in the bath can leave water marks on satin. Choose a dry cleaner that has handled wedding dresses before.
Store it properly
Good storage is simple: cleaned, folded with acid-free tissue paper in the folds, in a box or a cotton bag, somewhere without sunlight, damp or big changes in temperature. So not in the basement and not in the attic. The plastic bag from the shop is not for long-term use, because plastic traps moisture and can turn the fabric yellow. Check on the dress once a year.
Give it another life
Around the world, brides have come up with all kinds of things to do with the dress afterwards. In the US, "trash the dress" became popular a few years ago, with brides photographed in their dress in the sea or in mud. It is not for everyone.
A more practical idea is to have it remade. Many have the skirt shortened so the dress can be worn to a party or a wedding anniversary. In several countries, Denmark included, there is an old tradition of making a christening gown from the fabric of the wedding dress, so the next generation carries it on. Others keep the dress for a daughter who might want to wear it one day.
Sell it on
The market for second-hand wedding dresses is big, and a well-kept dress can sell for a good price. Take good photos in daylight, from the front, from the back and close up on the details, write the size and measurements, and be honest about any alterations. If the dress has been cleaned, say so. It is the first thing buyers ask about.
It is also sustainable. A dress that is worn twice has half the impact of one that hangs in a wardrobe for 30 years.
Should the dress be remade?
If you bought the dress from us, our tailor already knows it and can see what is possible. Read more about our tailor, or find more answers in our FAQ on life after the wedding. If you are not married yet, see all our wedding dresses in our Danish shop, and book a fitting.