Mine had been in a closet in my parents house. When I sold the house last spring I tried to donate it but most places only wanted dresses 5 years old or newer.
I cut a large square off it and then dropped it at a textile recycling center.
Someone stepped on the lace layer of my dress on my wedding day and ripped it. My dress is hanging dirty and ripped, in the plastic garment bag, in my husband’s closet.
I have all boys so I have no clue what I’m keeping it for at this point.
Mine was "preserved" and stored in a box. My cousin asked to try it on for her wedding, maybe 7 years after mine. I was all "yes, you can, but you'll need to pay for it to be preserved again after"
We opened the box. There was NOTHING special indicating a 'preservation process'. She tried it on, it didn't fit, I put it back in the box....and it sits in the basement still. I have the space for it so no sweat off my back. It'll probably stay there until I move out of this house
Preservation is largely a gimmick, as far as I understand it. I used to work in a bridal shop where we rented gowns. We legitimately threw MOST gowns right into a regular washing machine. We used regular stain stick on the majority of dirty spots. In 6 years of working there, we never ruined a single gown that way! (But there were some we could not wash…but those were few and far between.) Beads, sequins, lace, pleats…throw it in the washer! We never recommended brides get their gowns “preserved.”
I totally believe this. My dress had red Jell-O shot spilled on it and was disgusting on the bottom from bar-hopping. I used a shout stick gel remover thing on the stains and then washed it inside out in my front load washer. It came out great, and I sold it after that.
My mom's wedding dress was beautiful for 1979, and somehow managed to be exactly what I needed for a medieval costume in high school. After I used it, my mom insisted I leave it there so maybe it's still kicking around in the drama department's costume storage. I like to think that every new generation of drama students get to relive the glory of the 70's with that dress
Post by Poeticxpassion on Mar 27, 2022 14:30:21 GMT -5
I sold mine. I went wedding dress shopping by myself, and I bought the first dress I didn't feel "fat" in. I didn't have any attachment to it, so I sold it immediately after the wedding.
Like others, I was not sentimental about my dress at all. I have a good friend that loved my dress and asked if she could borrow it for her wedding, so I gave it to her and told her she could keep it. She now has three daughter so I think that was a good choice after all. I did keep my veil, purse and shoes. For some reason, I didn't want to part with those, but I've had friends borrow them over the years for their weddings, which makes them even more special to me.
Hanging in the back of my closet... It wasn't a traditional wedding dress though. I bought it for 60 dollars at Dillards. (lol). I don't know why I still have it really. It will likely never fit again.
Post by midwestmama on Mar 27, 2022 14:42:06 GMT -5
Mine is in a box in the guest room closet. I had it cleaned and I think I had it preserved, but it's been over 15 years now, so I can't remember. I've kept it in case DD might be interested in wearing it.
Post by thedutchgirl on Mar 27, 2022 15:00:53 GMT -5
My first dress was a bridesmaid's dress, and I had it cleaned and its hanging in a storage closet. My second wedding was just this past June. I had it cleaned and want to put it on for every anniversary.
I have one more wedding dress story! I bought a gorgeous dress shortly after H proposed, but before we really had solidified wedding details. It was a $99 dress from David's Bridal so I figured I could resell it or just be out the money if I didn't end up wearing it. It was a beautiful off-white with champagne details and would have been gorgeous for the winter wedding we were initially thinking, but felt a little too heavy and formal for the May wedding we actually planned.
Months later, after I had bought another dress, a friend was planning a very quick wedding - timeline was 4 weeks because they were trying to do it before an ill parent passed. Their wedding was early December and she described to me the dress she wished she could find, but was being realistic that she'd have to take whatever fit off the rack. The dress she described was EXACTLY what I had in the closet, and while it would have need alterations for me, it fit her perfectly. She was absolutely stunning on her wedding day and I am so thankful the universe let me be part of that.
And that dress was later made into a christening gown for her children so part of it still lives on!
Post by DarcyLongfellow on Mar 27, 2022 16:12:58 GMT -5
Hanging in the the back of DH's closet. My MIL got it dry cleaned for me, but I never "preserved" it, and I'm pretty sure it's just on the dry cleaner's wire hanger.
I should have sold/donated it. It was THE style in 2006 -- strapless, silk, and had those pickups all over the dress. I'm positive no one would want it now, and I can't imagine my girls wanting it. I could have also had it turned into a christening gown. Oh well. Maybe I'll donate it for the fabric -- silk should keep, I think?
Mine is balled up in the back of my closet. I wore my mom's dress so it was really special. We altered it to remove the 80s fabulous sleeves and high neck and it ended up being a simple lace spaghetti strap a-line. It's really pretty and timeless. I loved it! Of course, now I'm divorced so I kind of feel like I cursed my mom's dress... But I'm saving it in case either of my girls wants to wear it someday anyway.
In a box in the basement - I had it preserved. Not sure why or what to do with it. It's pretty timeless, but I don't know if DD would want to wear it. I took my mom's out of her preserved box - it still yellowed. I have that in my closet, I might let DD play dress up w/it.
My veil was beautiful and $$$, I could see passing that down.
Mine is hanging in a closet. I had it professionally cleaned and I think it's good enough. I don't know if it counts as preserved.
I donated my first dress + accessories to an organization based in OR. They sell used dresses and use the money for victims of sex trafficking. It got some stains while in storage but I put it in my washing machine on delicate and same thing for the dryer and it came out clean and beautiful.
I threw mine out. Someone slipped while dancing at my reception and grabbed at me while going down, ripping the skirt off halfway around. I finished my reception in shorts and a t-shirt. I wasn't sentimental about the dress, I had gotten it for under $200 at a consignment store and it fit perfectly.
I just hung it in the original bag without cleaning it after our wedding. We moved and it got hung up in a closet in the guest room so it was very out of sight out of mind for me but occasionally H would see it and tell me I needed to do something about it - he's more sentimental about stuff than I am. It was almost like it bothered him to have it just hanging there. I really did love my dress but after the wedding it was just "stuff" to me.
When we were getting ready to move out of that house I took it out and my daughter tried it on (she was about 5 at the time) and we took a couple of pictures and she thought it was fun. I took it and had it cleaned & boxed and it's currently on the top shelf of a closet that we don't use often.
I have no idea if my kid will want to use it or pieces of it but I feel like it will be hurtful to H if I get rid of it and I figure if it's not in the way it's fine if it hangs out there forever.
H's 2 cousins tried to sell their dresses at their mom's garage sale but they were VERY dated and no one was interested. They are both divorced and had written cursed removed on the date they were divorced. Lots of people chuckled at that.
Someone stepped on the lace layer of my dress on my wedding day and ripped it. My dress is hanging dirty and ripped, in the plastic garment bag, in my husband’s closet.
I have all boys so I have no clue what I’m keeping it for at this point.
ha, similar with me--I never had it cleaned, but it is in my garment bag hanging in the closet, dirty from my wedding. I have a son as well.
In a garment bag in our storage closet. Not preserved, lol. It'll stay there in perpetuity. A small part of the hem of the train ripped right after the wedding and i saved the fabric that ripped, in case any future children want to use it. It's in a wedding box with the cards we received, my wedding necklace, etc.
Post by dancingnancy on Mar 28, 2022 11:43:03 GMT -5
It was put back in the garment bag never cleaned. It’s currently in a storage bin in my garage. We split up 3 years ago and I’m only holding on to it in case DD wants something to do with it. Otherwise I’d toss it.