A wedding dress is one of the most treasured pieces of clothing a woman will ever wear, and it is often a sentimental souvenir from the biggest day in her life. However, what do you do with it once the celebration is over? You can keep it in your closet as a keepsake, banish it to the attic with the mice, or give it away. Many charities and secondhand stores have special programs where you can donate your wedding gown to a worthy cause. The following are some charities and shops that accept wedding dresses as donations, giving your dress a second life and helping a variety of environmental and social causes.
Angel Gowns
This nonprofit organization uses donated wedding gowns to make baby burial outfits for families who have lost their infants due to complications in the NICU. The volunteer seamstresses repurpose the bridal gowns and make them into beautiful burial garments for the tiny babies. This is an extremely touching way to repurpose your wedding dress and help others in the most difficult of circumstances.
Brides Do Good
This ethical bridal boutique offers new designer wedding dresses and repurposed bridal gowns that support various projects working to end child marriage, promote female empowerment, and provide education to the world’s most vulnerable young girls. The company partners with brides and brands to curate a unique collection of bridal gowns, and the profits go to chosen charity projects.
The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation
This Devon-based charity uses wedding gowns to support the family and friends of patients with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition. They can either gift a donated dress to the patient or sell the gown to raise money for the hospice.
Gift of a Wedding
This charity helps terminally-ill couples celebrate their wedding day with their loved ones by supplying them with a custom-made bridal gown that is paid for by donors. The donation can also include bridesmaid dresses, veils, and tiaras, but the donor must provide all of those items in order to receive a tax deduction.
If you want to claim your donation on your taxes, it is important that you contact the charity or thrift shop ahead of time and ask if they have any COVID-19 restrictions in place. You should also have your dress professionally dry cleaned before you drop it off or ship it in, as most places prefer to not deal with the hassle of dealing with a stain on such a fragile and expensive piece of clothing.
Some charities also accept other wedding-related items such as flowers and shoes, so be sure to check with them before donating any other accessories to make sure they can take your dress. And don’t forget to keep all receipts and other purchasing documentation in case you decide to claim your donation on your taxes. Good luck, and happy donating!