You spend a lot of money on your wedding and a wedding dress is a big part of your budget. There are a few ways you can honour your dress after your big day. We broke down a few options for you to consider:

Preserve it

It’s important to get your dress cleaned right away before stains set in. Taking time to clean and contain your dress properly will help protect and preserve it for a long time. Before committing to a cleaning service, ask around, read reviews, etc. Sadly, some cleaning places don’t know how or don’t have the tools to clean and care for the delicate fabrics that wedding dresses are made of. If a dry cleaner says ”no” to cleaning your dress don’t press them, it’s a good thing that they are being honest with you! You could have a ruined dress otherwise. Find a trusted cleaner that knows what they are doing and has been recommended by other trusted resources.

The Knot preservation service could be an option for ensuring that your dress will last. Make sure you seal your dress and store it in a cool, dry, and dark place. If you choose to hang a wedding gown, always use a padded hanger. Hanging your wedding dress gives the best air circulation—plus, you’ll never have to worry about permanent creasing. If you are folding your dress, place layers of non-coloured tissue paper or muslin between the folds of the dress to avoid permanent creasing. More details on preserving your wedding dress can be found by clicking here. 

You could clean it yourself…but it is much riskier, do your research before attempting this!

Sell it

If you want to earn back some money from the purchase of your dress, let us repeat – you’ll definitely want to clean it right away!  When you sell it you won’t get the full value back, sorry to break the news. However, getting a portion of your money back is better than nothing, right? 

You can sell your dress on Kijiji or Facebook marketplace. Nearly Newlywed is a site that sells your dress across North America. Give it a try by clicking here. 

Donate it

What a great way to give back and help a charity or help a bride who is unable to afford a full-priced dress?  It’s becoming more and more popular for brides after their wedding. Here are a couple of charities to check out:

In Toronto – The Brides Project 

St. Jacobs – Gina’s Closet 

Alter it:

Are you good with a sewing machine or super creative?  If you’re feeling a little crafty you could alter your dress into something meaningful that you can use again. We’ll let your creativity take you away, but here are some ideas we thought of:

• Die it another colour.
• Turn it into a pillow or quilt.
• Create a piece of art.
• Sew a special baby item.

The most important thing to do with your dress right away is pretty obvious – CLEAN IT! We can’t stress it enough. No matter what you choose to do with your dress, you’ll need it clean first. Once you’ve cleaned it, then you can choose to do whatever you want with it. Be sure about your decision because you’ve invested a great deal of money into this beautiful dress and it comes with a lot of sentimental memories from your big day. When giving away your dress know that you are giving another bride the ability to create her own memories and have a beautiful wedding day.
Are you looking for the perfect venue to celebrate your special day? Connect with our wedding coordinators to start planning your wedding day today!