Buying a wedding dress is one of the most expensive purchases in a person’s life, but it’s also one of the most personal. But after the big day, many brides find themselves with a dress they’ll never wear again. Donating a wedding dress can be an easy way to give back while also helping someone else get ready for the big day.
Several charitable organizations take wedding dress donations and distribute them to people in need, or sell them at greatly reduced prices. Often, these nonprofits offer donors the chance to feel good about their donations, and they may even receive a tax deduction in return.
The NICU Helping Hands Program uses donated wedding dresses to transform them into infant burial gowns, or “angel gowns.” These gowns are offered to hospitals, funeral homes and directly to grieving families free of charge.
Through Forever Angels of Virginia, you can donate a dress that will be turned into an infant burial gown to honor a baby who’s lost. The organization has seamstresses across the country who painstakingly transform donated wedding dresses into beautiful baby burial gowns for a family to use after losing their child.
You can donate your dress to an organization like this in any state or city. To donate your dress, you’ll need to fill out an online form and provide some details about the dress. The organization will then contact you to set up a date to pick up your dress.
A new Facebook group called Shared Dream Dresses is giving brides the opportunity to pass on their old wedding dresses to other women who can’t afford them. The group was started by Gwendolyn Stulgis, who was looking for a way to get her $3,000 dress out of her closet and into the hands of someone else who needed it more than she did.
Stulgis posted about her idea on the group and soon received more than 300 submissions. She picked Margaret Hyde, a friend from Cleveland, as the recipient of her gown. The pair matched on price and other details, and she said it felt good to be doing something that was meaningful and made a difference.
Since then, Stulgis has grown the group to include 12 other brides who have now also donated their dresses. She says the experience has helped her realize that she’s not alone in her desire to give back.
You’ll probably have an easier time finding a charity to donate your dress to when it’s in good condition and doesn’t have holes or visible stains. It’s also a better idea to make sure your dress is clean and dry, because that will cut down on the amount of work the charity needs to do when they pick up your donation.
Some bridal salons have a collection point for donated dresses. You can also drop off yours at a local consignment shop or a thrift store that sells used clothing.
Alternatively, you can consider donating your dress to a bridal boutique or online marketplace. These places typically don’t accept used items that aren’t in good condition, so if you have a good quality wedding dress that you no longer want, these options can be a great way to find a new home for it.