For many brides, their wedding gown is one of the most sentimental items they own. While some brides choose to preserve their bridal gowns for future use (like at a vow renewal or their child’s wedding), others find that the work involved with maintaining a dress and storing it in a closet outweigh the benefits of keeping it. That’s where wedding dress donation comes in. Donating your gown to a charity or thrift shop can free up closet space, provide a tax deduction and help someone else’s special day, too.
While reselling your wedding dress can be an option, it can also be more work than it’s worth. Between getting your gown professionally cleaned and mended, taking high-quality photos, and waiting for it to sell, the process can take six months or more. In addition, there’s no guarantee that you’ll recoup your initial investment. “You could always repurpose your dress as a piece of decor, but it’s just not the same,” says Drew Edwards, founder of Brides Against Breast Cancer Charity, who advises that donating is the best way to ensure your gown has a meaningful, positive impact.
Founded in 1997, Brides Against Breast Cancer resells gently used dresses in order to raise money for early detection and awareness programs. They’ve sold over 50,000 donated wedding gowns in the past two decades, and the proceeds from those sales have funded research, education, and support groups for breast cancer victims. The organization has an online shop where brides can schedule a time to drop off their dress in-person, and they’ll send you instructions for shipping the dress if you can’t make it.
The Brides Project in Michigan resells donated wedding gowns to raise money for cancer support services, like counseling and nutrition workshops, for those affected by the disease. Their online store features both gently worn wedding gowns and new bridal accessories. They accept donations year-round and offer a drop-off box in Ann Arbor, or you can ship your wedding gown to them by following their online guidelines.
A Maryland-based bridal boutique, Cherie Sustainable Bridal, sells preowned gowns to support Success in Style, a nonprofit that provides professional attire and basic interview skills to those in crisis. It accepts wedding gowns less than five years old, as well as dresses from the bride’s maids and flower girls. It doesn’t require you to have your gown professionally cleaned before donating, but they ask that you contact them for their mailing address and donation release form beforehand.
If you’d rather assist a sex trafficking victim, consider donating your wedding dress to Adorned in Grace. The faith-based organization carries wedding dresses and formalwear, and the sales proceeds fund professional counseling for trafficking survivors and awareness publications. You can drop off your wedding gown at a Goodwill store in quarantine, or contact the nonprofit directly for mailing instructions.