What to Do with Your Wedding Dress After the Wedding is Over

It's not likely that your daughter will want to wear your wedding dress 20 or 30 years from now. Most brides prefer to buy and wear their own gown. The newish trend of trashing your wedding dress after the wedding by rolling around in mud or running through mud puddles while the photographer catches it all on film is not the demise I would suggest for an expensive gown.

3 ways to recycle your wedding dress

1. Turn it into a christening gown. If you're going to have children you may want to consider having a seamstress use pieces of your gown to create a christening gown that all of your children can wear.

2. Make a new dress. A professional dressmaker or seamstress--even someone who is handy with the sewing machine--can turn your wedding dress into a whole new creation. You can dye it a different color or use portions of the dress to create a whole new look. You can wear the new dress to parties and special events--maybe even for years to come.

3. Create a table runner or cover. Again, pieces of the gown can be used to create a beautiful table runner or cover for special occasions. Every year for Christmas or Thanksgiving, you can pull out your dress turned table runner, decorate your table, and relive your wedding day all over again.