Trash the dress/donating/or selling pros and cons

I would NEVER trash my dress. My plan is to have it turned into a quilt or stuffed bear.

Oh Kimi those are wonderful ideas! I love the idea of a quilt.

Interesting ideas! I wouldn't trash my dress, possibly sell it? I have the preservation kit from David's so they will box it nicely

I'm having a tough time with this one, too. I'm not a sentimental person, but I'm feeling like that towards my dress. It's strange and never happened before! I had all intentions of selling it after the wedding. But now that I can, it's hard for me to think about selling it. I don't know why. I paid like $1,400 for the dress, and I would be happy getting $500, but figured I might not get that. Especially since there is a rip in the outer layer of tulle in the back. You can't tell unless you look for it, and the bustle hides it, but it's still a rip. And that rip is making me consider keeping it. But what will I do with it? I won't wear it again. Neither will any children that may be in our future. Idk. It's tough!

I feel like trashing the dress is a waste of money personally, I don't plan on wearing my dress more than once, but I do want to turn it into a quilt so it will be useful. My mom's wedding dress is still sitting in a box preserved and we have zero idea what we are going to do with it (she passed away a little over a year ago). So I cannot fathom putting my dress in a box for my children to deal with after I die.

I think donating your dress is a really neat idea, it would help out people who need it!

And to be honest, once I find my dress I am going to look for it used and see if I can find the size the shop would order. If I can save some money on a dress I plan on only wearing once, I totally will.

I don't know if I could trash my dress. I know some of the photos are really neat, but I can't imagine wrecking my dress. I would rather keep it or sell it.

Trashing your expensive wedding dress sounds like a "i've got more money than sense moment".

As of now I'm going to preserve it. Maybe my future daughter will want to wear it or future granddaughter or maybe I can give it to someone who needs a dress.

I listed my dress soon after wearing it fory october 30tj wedding and it is currently up on 3 sites and no bites. I may see if somewhere local takes them as it needs a new home. Too pretty to trash.....

With so many brides who truly cannot afford even the simplest dress, I don't understand anyone trashing theirs. Sell it if you can, preserve it if you wish, donate it if nothing else.

I don't get why people think trashing it is so much worse than preserving it to have it sit in a closet for a few decades, but I guess everyone can have their opinion and it doesn't have to make sense to me lol.

I'm not preserving mine, but just going to leave it in my closet. Not sure what I plan on doing it. I liked the idea of wearing it every anniversary from that article some bride here posted a few months ago.

While wearing the dress one more time, more photo opps in it does seem tempting, I determined trashing the dress is out.

Think I will attempt to sell it, and after a certain time, if it doesn't get sold, will donate it. The quilt sounds mighty tempting though! I am not crafty though, and have a strong feeling it would cost me a lot to have someone make a quilt out of it.

E=mc2(Emily) haha that sounds very tempting too. Wearing it every anniversary. It is sweet actually.

Rhonda, please share info regarding your avatar pic. It's gorgeous.

I preserved my dress thinking it would be fun if my daughter would want to wear it ... we took it out about a year ago and she was like, "Uh .... no." AAAAAAAAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!! I tried getting into it but couldn't get it past my hips so back in the box it went!!!!!!!!!

I don't really get sentimental toward "things"; I have just a few things that were my grandmothers and fathers that I keep put away, but if my house burned down, I have basically 1 box I'd grab on my way out, and my pets, and let the rest burn. I don't know how I'll feel about my dress after. I think I'd like to sell it. Its a common size and I didn't alter the bodice at all. Turning it into something else isn't really an option due to the embellishments. I guess that's my order: sell>donate>sit in closet forever>something else>trash.

@Rhonda ~ Just an idea, not all 'trash the dress' shoots have to completely and utterly ruin the dress. In fact, many that I've seen most recently are simply more 'casual' fun shoots ~ maybe in some water, sitting on the grass, around town, etc. Any dirt/water could technically dry-cleaned out in that case and you could still donate your dress to a good cause. Brides Against Breast Cancer is another charity organization you could think about looking into (http://www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org/), as well!

Some inspiration of the TTD shoots I'm referring to....

(*Alison Mayfield; Adley Studios)

Treasure it, sell it or donate it.

I don’t care how cool the picture looks, trashing a wedding dress is absolutely stupid.

Is it weird that I want to keep mine and just wear it every year on my anniversary? (semi-sarcasm....)

MrsA, why not "trash" it and then donate it? Why can't brides take another photo-op with it? Genuinely curious, I've seen some great ones like WW Christina posted that I would definitely consider on an anniversary down the road.

I would never ever trash my dress. The idea mortifies me and I don't understand why people do that. Now, the bride that was broken up with after a two year engagement (that viral video)? I can kinda understand that line of thinking. I plan to sell mine. FH and I will have a lot of travel expenses visiting his family/friends back in the UK each year and If I could get $500 back, that's half a plane ticket!

Why trash something that is sentimental and you spent money on it? I say either donate it or for me, I plan to rent it