How to Store Wedding Dress

InsideInsurance

onlyroz wrote: »

Trouble with a wedding dress is that they're only really useful for weddings - and most people hope to only have one of those. What you did with yours sounds like a great idea, but to keep something that has a potentially high resale value just for nostalgic purposes doesn't sound very MSE :money:

Even if they believe they may have another wedding they generally wont want to wear the same dress again.

Secondhand prices for a single dress dont tend to be that high due to the lack of chances of find a dozen people of the same size and tastes to start a bidding war, different if you have a shop full of them and can sit on stock for months if needs be.

Wife was intended to do a trash the dress photoshoot afterwards so wasnt expecting to have anything to store but by the time diaries aligned a few pounds had been put on and it didnt fit so it was dry cleaned, in a cardboard box with acid free paper plus some cubes of cedar which are replaced/sanded down periodically.

minerva_windsong

Armchair23 wrote: »

A bit OT I know, but what are you storing it for ?

Why not? If you've got the space and (to quote the KonMarie method) it brings you joy to keep it - because it's associated with happy memories, because you felt beautiful in it etc - then I don't see what's wrong with keeping it. It's your wedding dress so it's yours to do with as you see fit.


I kept my wedding dress for the above reasons, plus it has sentimental value as it was made by a relative so is totally unique to me and my shape (which would probably limit resale value). I got it dry-cleaned and it's now in a box in acid-free paper at my parents' house.


I've reworn the petticoats that were with it, as well as both pairs of my wedding shoes (though have dyed one of them black), since getting married as well - so it hasn't completely gone to waste.

thriftylass

Rambosmum wrote: »

You 'should' get it professionally dry cleaned and then get the cleaners to fold it in a box with acid free tissue paper. Most dry cleaners and bridal shops will do this for about £50 - £75.

Mine is in the loft, in its storage bag with gravy down the front and about a foot of dirt up the inside from the train being dragged on the floor all night.

Mine looks about the same. Left it that way as it tells a story. Mine only cost £100!

Rambosmum

onlyroz wrote: »

Why keep it?

I wanted to donate it to Johnssons the cleaners who clean and mend them for free before passing them on to a charity that arranges weddings for terminally ill people.

My OH wanted me to keep it, so I did but I refused to get it cleaned.

anotheruser

Thanks for the responses.
It's already been dry cleaned so we're just looking at storage solutions. I think it may end up in a large plastic tub with the paper.

We're keeping it because it holds happy memories for us. On the odd chance we're to sell it, it's worth more to us than what we originally paid in money; the memories attached to it are priceless.

Too many people look for the monetary value in things far too quickly these days.

It's a shame.

And while I realise this is a money saving forum; it shouldn't make you obsessed with money.

thorsoak

I have not only my wedding dress (from 1963) but also my MiL's wedding dress (from 1935!) Both stored in tissue paper, in a cotton quilt cover, in a cardboard box!

pickledonionspaceraider

anotheruser wrote: »

too many people look for the monetary value in things far too quickly these days.

It's a shame.

And while i realise this is a money saving forum; it shouldn't make you obsessed with money.

Couldn't agree more

busiscoming2

I kept my first Wedding dress for years before donating it eventually to DD's drama group.

DD wanted to keep her dress (recently married) but didn't want to pay out for dry cleaning. It most likely won't ever be worn again (at least for a Wedding) so I washed it in the bath hung it out to dry. It is currently kept in a dress bag inside an old duvet.

nanto3girls

I love this story about a wedding dress donated to charity.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3121473/Widower-85-donated-wife-s-wedding-dress-charity-shop-touching-note-says-s-overwhelmed-thousands-s-raised-hospice.html