Your big has come and gone and you looked like an absolute dream in your gorgeous gown. The photos have been snapped, the twirls have concluded on the dance floor, and now you’re wondering what to do with your wedding dress after the fact.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get creative! Here are some ideas.

Preserve your wedding dress

The most common solution for many brides is to have their dress professionally cleaned and preserved. Perhaps you want to hand it down as an heirloom one day, or you want to keep it for the memories- either way, a cleaner will take out the stains and pack it in the right type of box or bridal bag to ensure it stays in pristine condition for years to come.

At The Bridal Outlet, we recommend our friends at Oceanside Cleaners! They are locally owned and operated. They can clean your gown and also preserve your gown after your wedding day.

Donate your wedding dress to charity

For a sustainable option, consider donating your gown to charity. There are a few organizations that will happily take your gown to be given to a bride in need. Your dress gets more than one day of use and you can feel good knowing that another bride gets to twirl in her dream dress on her big day.

You can have a “trash the dress” photo shoot

Have you ever ooed and aahed at those Instagram posts of brides submerged in turquoise waters at the beach? You must’ve wondered how they could do that in their wedding dress. The answer is- they most likely had a “trash the dress” photo shoot. If you don’t have plans to preserve your dress, have fun and let loose in a unique setting, whether it’s the pool, beach or throwing paint. 

Fun DIY projects

If you’re the creative type, you can make some fun DIY crafts out of your wedding dress. It’s a great way to preserve those memories and make use of your dress. Here are some ideas:

• Blankets
• Dress-up clothes
• Doll clothes
• Bassinet cover
• First communion dress/christening dress
• Table cloth
• Wall hangings
• Curtains
• Throw pillows
• Accents, like head pieces or jewelry