People spend a lot of money on wedding gowns. This overrated expense is usually considered bad within our society and is termed as extravagant. However, wedding gowns are not as bad as one think. Here are some reasons:
Preservation
More traditional options include preserving the wedding gown. There’s the old standby of saving the wedding gown for a daughter or other loved one’s wedding. Other brides save their wedding gowns to potentially wear at a vow renewal ceremony.
Preserving a wedding gown properly can cost from hundreds to thousands of dirhams. Some of the cost depends on the material and intricacy of the dress.
The first step is to take it to a cleaner who specializes in preservation.
You can either have the wedding gown professionally packed or do it yourself. Proper preservation should protect from light, dust and insects. While you might want to be able to gaze at your beloved frock, putting your garment in a box with a peek-a-boo window is a no-no. Another gaffe is keeping your wedding gown in plastic.
The Times suggests purchasing museum-quality conservation supplies, which it notes are not available at most dry cleaners. Proper packing materials can be ordered from websites like Conservation Resources.
Compensation
You can go old-school and sell your garb at a yard sale, through a consignment shop or via a classified ad in the local newspaper. Online has an array of options as well. There’s always eBay and Craigslist but also sites specifically for cashing in your wedding gown dress such as once wed.
If you’re not sure how much your lightly used dress is worth, Pre-owned Wedding Dresses has a calculator. Just fill in the condition, date purchased designer and other details and it’ll give you a quote.
Re-creation
Make your wedding gown new again. This can either be done with the whole gown, like slicing off the bottom to make a cocktail dress, or with parts, such as redoing the bodice or using some of the material for a headband or other accessory.
Other options include dying your wedding gown a new color, or making a few adjustments to a slinky dress to turn it into lingerie.
“You might feel silly wearing a long white gown to a friend’s wedding (and stealing the spotlight from the bride is the ultimate no-no!). But dyed in a darker color, your dress could be totally re-wearable,” says a local designer.
Donation
You can donate your wedding gowns to Red Crescent Authority in the United Arab Emirates to help fund weddings and vow renewal ceremonies for couples facing terminal illness and other serious life-altering situations.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions.
Another option is donating the dress to a local thrift store.
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