What to do with a 1970s wedding dress

I cut up my 1974 wedding dress to make a quilt for respective DD’s crib. Used smaller pieces sewn together to reupholster the padded seat of a white Lloyd loom chair plus a small matching cushion embroidered with the first letter of our surname.
All before the babies arrived……when I had time to spend on such friteries .😄

Definitely vintage interest. Online or there are vintage shops around

My mum made her own wedding dress with parachute silk that my Dad brought back from the Far East after he was demobbed. She was a trained Court dressmaker. When my brothers were both due to start school she used the material to make them both school shirts - very posh for an Inner London school!!!

goodmakertales.com/where-to-donate-a-wedding-dress-uk/

Lots of ideas on here.

My daughter and daughter-in-law donated their dresses to a specialist charity wedding dress shop in Coventry.

Mine was a lovely Jean Muir design. I bought a beautiful soft light cream crepe fabric and my Godmother (dressmaker) made it for me. There was a lot of work in it. Lots of covered buttons and tiny tucks and pleats. It wasn’t a meringue but had a full skirt that fell softly to my feet. I loved it. I kept it for forty years and then my daughter needed Christening outfits for her boy/girl twins. I found a dressmaker and she ruined it! We eventually got the outfits but had to replace most of the fabric with a different fabric. She managed to get the yokes of the little garments out of my dress. I felt furious. She ruined my lovely dress for nothing. We refused to pay her! She didn’t argue, she knew!

My DD bought a vintage dress for her wedding. It came from a bridal shop which sells new and old.
She asked if the previous owner had had a happy marriage. She had!
She looked so lovely in it

I sent mine to Australian granddaughter for dressing up

A group I belong to called NHAP (Needles Hooks Angels and Preemies) take in wedding dresses and cut them up to make tiny burial gowns for little babies who sadly do not survive. They are always grateful for wedding dresses and have some excellent seamstresses who make beautiful baby gowns. Every part of the dress is lovingly reused, even lace trims. If you would like the address please let me know.
I support them with crochet, sewing and knitted items mainly for premature babies, as mums are not prepared under the circumstances. Many hospitals accept our items to help families in these difficult circumstances.

If you really don’t mind what happens to your dress you could try someone like rosablue on Instagram. Sure to be others out there too but she makes adorable things out of recycling.

I belong to a group called NHAP (Needles Hooks Angels and Preemies) who take them in to cut up and make tiny burial gowns for babies who sadly do not survive. Every part of the dress is lovingly reused, even the lace trims. They have a very talented group of seamstresses who make beautiful gowns for the babies.
I myself support with knitting, crochet and sewing mainly for premature babies as mums are not prepared under the circumstances. If you would like the address please let me know.

How about some of these ‘vintage’ /preloved shops? Or if you know anybody that can make use of the material for bridesmaid dresses for small children or christening or party outfits??

There is definitely a market for vintage dresses.please do some research and get it to a good home. Don’t let it be cut up.

I can't remember which charity it was but I sent mine to one who make them into gowns for stillborn babies, they were very grateful for it and even sent me pictures of the beautiful gowns they'd made from it.

I have MIL dress from 1935 Bias cut slipper satin. Also mothers war time dress and mine from early 60's They are too small for any GGd's to use.

What lovely suggestions on this thread. We were paying for our own wedding and money was very limited so I hired my dress (slightly cheaper as I was the second wearer) and was able to have the dress, 1962, dull figured silk, high neck, long sleeves and a very fetching bustle, worn over a small hooped petticoat, of my dreams. A great memory and no storage problems, plus I can point out to my DGDs how ahead of the field I was!

My aunt made my duchess satin dress and short train. I donated it a couple of years later to a local convent who made it into vestments for poor priests in African countries. The guipure lace bolero I kept. My 2 DGD’s have cut off some flower shapes from it to be added to their future wedding dresses.

I sold my first one from 1982 on ebay last year, it had a crinoline which were 'in' then. Also sold the bridesmaid dress. They were classed as vintage so yours may be of interest to someone. I still have my second one from 2006, not ready to part with it yet

Jacaranda can you message the address to me please.My OH cant complain about me getting rid of the wedding dress when its for such a good cause .Thank you .

Mine is a beautiful, elegant simple dress - it still fits and will be the last dress I wear.

Mine is a fitted pale blue knee length dress with a matching lace coat the same length as the dress, it’s a small size 10 , can’t believe I still have it after 57 years !
it won’t go above my knees now 😅
My daughters thought it would fit them , alas no so it’s back in its box until I decide what to do with it ..

Nicksmrs46

Mine is a fitted pale blue knee length dress with a matching lace coat the same length as the dress, it’s a small size 10 , can’t believe I still have it after 57 years !
it won’t go above my knees now 😅
My daughters thought it would fit them , alas no so it’s back in its box until I decide what to do with it ..

Size 10 then is a size 6 now. It looks like a lovely dress. Mine was white, high necked with lace bands on the sleeves. I asked my teenage son to get it down from the loft when we were moving years ago. As far as I know it's still in that loft and I've moved 3 times since!

I think the baby charity is a beautiful idea!!
But 'old style' wedding dresses are very much in with today's youth on sites like Vinted.

FishandChips15

I was married in 1974 and my dress was a Laura Ashley material and style. I gave it to the local am dram group and someone wore it in their performance of Abigail's Party.

I was married in 1973 and wore a Laura Ashley wedding dress. I love the idea of donating it to a drama group in the chance it could appear on stage.

My dress from my wedding in 1969 is high necked and has a lace coat with a small train. Very pretty. My youngest daughter wore it for her wedding in 2008.
I love the idea of donating it to the baby charity.

eBay you will be surprised how many want to purchase a 70s wedding dress some who do 70s events etc are often willing.