Fashion

How to Upcycle, Donate, or Resell Your Wedding Dress

Customize your own event checklist with due dates, personal reminders, and timelines for all your wedding to do’s.

Across social media channels, there have been a slew infographics explaining how individuals can incorporate sustainability into their shopping habits. These sustainability hacks can include avoiding fast fashion, choosing vintage over new, donating older clothes, and coordinating clothing swaps between friends, and they are not only applicable to your everyday athleisure looks but also what you choose to wear on your wedding.
With this in mind, we have laid out some easy-breezy ways to incorporate sustainability into your wedding without sacrificing style or money — not to mention, you will help out a future bride.

Upcycle and Elevate Your Look

The average cost of wedding dress floats somewhere in the thousands — it ranges somewhere between $500 to $4,000 — which is mindbogglingly stressful during a time when many are navigating how to pay rent or take care of their children due to COVID. One solution to spending a lot of money on wedding wear is to first shop your closet to see if you have a plain ensemble (white or not) that you can elevate with statement accessories, a special pair of shoes, and a knockout hairdo. You could even investigate what treasures may lay within your parents’ or friends’ closets!
If you are able to spend some money or want something fresh for your big day, a second option is to purchase a simpler gown that you can apply the same tips above to in order to upcycle the look so it is just as elegant and luxurious as any $2,500 wedding dress.

Donate and Make a Dress Dream Come True

After you wear your (upcycled or not) wedding dress, consider donating the garment to a bride in need who may not have the money to spend on a new gown for their big day — whether that be a friend or a stranger! While it can be hard to part with an article of clothing that holds so much value (both monetary and sentimental), the feeling of helping out another couple will fill you with enough happiness to see beyond any sense of loss. If you need any more convincing, donating an expensive item of clothing can also lead to a tax reduction which is a great perk during the current recession.
There are a lot of nonprofit organizations out there that take wedding dress donations and then distribute them to people in need for free, or at much lower prices. A few organizations to consider donating to include Brides for a CauseBrides Across AmericaAdorned in Grace, and Brides Against Breast Cancer. Consider donating your wedding, bridesmaid, or flower girl dress to one of these nonprofits!

Resell to the Next Soon-to-be Bride

Another sustainable option is to resell your wedding dress online for another bride-to-be to enjoy! After all, no matter how you slice it, the reality is you are probably only going to wear your wedding dress once, maybe twice, so donating or reselling the garment is a great way to extend its use. There is a slew of websites you can use to resell your dress for a reduced price including Nearly NewlywedStill WhitePreOwned Wedding Dresses, and Once Wed. But don’t shy away from posting photos or a quick live try-on video to your Instagram or Facebook accounts. 
Regardless of where you choose to sell your gown, make sure to include a variety of photos of you in the dress when you first bought it, on your wedding, and on the hanger as well so interested parties can have a better sense of what the gown looks like on body and at a wedding. You could also go the extra mile and have your dress professionally cleaned, but this is not necessary if it isn’t in your budget! Just be transparent about any stains or tears that could lead to a lower resell price.
It is also important to note that used wedding dresses are often resold at $1,000 or below depending on the original price and when you purchased the dress. Another rule of thumb is reselling your gown for 50-70% of the retail value if it is under two-and-a-half years old.
These are just a few ways to incorporate sustainability into your wedding wear's next life, but ultimately helping the environment and supporting the communities impacted by climate change requires more than a single action. So consider sharing one of the charities we mentioned above on your RSVP card so guests may donate, as well!
And don't forget, for all the joy and love you experience in your wedding gown... imagine how much more love the gown will get from a second life instead of just waiting in the back of your closet for years.
Elizabeth Berry
About The Author
Writer living in Connecticut.
More like this
Plan your wedding like a pro.
Follow
Join our newsletter: