What to do with a 1970s wedding dress

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

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!

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.

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!!!

Definitely vintage interest. Online or there are vintage shops around

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 .😄

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.

A local museum might be interested in it, if not for their main collection then for their learning department.

Mine’s from 1972 and it’s bright red! If I lose 4 stones, I might get in it again!

My wedding dress circa the middle 70's, a long-sleeved, high-necked Empire line, was ruined when my parent's house was burgled. It was quirted with anything they could lay their hands on. My DDs 10 and 9 at the time had a week of bliss with it along with the veil and Juliet cap while we got grannys house sorted. It went in the skip with everything else.

I met a woman at a sewing class some years ago and she had cut her wedding dress up to make a quilt.

Mine said dry clean too, I didnt want to risk the washing machine so laid it in the bath with tepid water and soap flakes. Swished it about, rinsed and then pulled the plug. Left it til morning when it wasnt too wet (synthetic) hung straight on a hanger, and the marks had all disappeared and no ironing required. As good as new. Pity it doesn't fit any more

First of all get it clean. My wedding dress (also synthetic) said Dry Clean Only, but I put it in the washing machine on a gentle cycle and it came out sparkling! Then I listed it on Ebay. Someone bought it! I only got £25 but at least somebody wanted it.

I still have mine from late 60s, high frilly neck, long sleeves, only my head and feet were on show. Slim line, no petticoat to take up space. Worn once and washed for the first time recently, which surprisingly turned out well.
Now in a small box under the bed.

I like the idea of donating to stillborn baby charities and would be grateful if anyone could recommend one. I have two dresses in my loft: mine and DD’s. I followed up Cherished Gowns but they are inundated and are not taking any till next year Also they must be less than 10 years old and have no tulle. No good for me.

Photo please!

I would suggest giving it to your local theatre costume department.
I still have a 1980s ballgown packed in tissue paper in a box. My DD and DGD will have a laugh looking at it when I'm gone.

Mine is still hanging in a cupboard. It’s very slim-line and no fancy petticoats so it doesn’t take up any space.

It’s also tiny. My 12yo wasn’t able to do it up when she played with it and she’s only a size 6-8 now as an adult.

My wedding dress (1976) was a two-part Gina Fratini dress. White cotton. Half of it was used to make a dress for a Christmas tree fairy and an Angel Gabriel costume for my daughter at Primary School. I think the other half is in the loft.

You could ask the charity shop and if they are not going to sell it you can continue to look elsewhere.

Thanks everyone. Yes it is high neck and long sleeved. When I looked on Vinted it looked a bit down market from the dresses on there. I thought the local charity shops would not want it . I’m not after money just wanted it to used,

Primrose53

There are charities about that would welcome it. They use wedding dresses to make into tiny slips for stillborn babies. They deliver them to maternity units and the nurses dress the babies and photograph them. I know a young couple who lost a baby and they were totally overcome knowing that strangers cared enough to make these for their baby.

That would be my suggestion too - google NHAP

paddyann54

Vintage bridal shops will take them synthetic or not .Its a popular style if its the high neck long sleeved one that I still have from 1975.My OH wouldn't let me use mine to make a christening robe when our daughter was born so it still lives in the wardrobe . It'll be there until I sneak it out without him seeing

Yes, vintage shops or some charity shops specialise in vintage clothes, as many brides prefer a retro style wedding.

Mine is still in the attic, wrapped in a sheet in a box, doing nothing.
I was going to make a christening gown out of it but never got around to it.

Primrose53

There are charities about that would welcome it. They use wedding dresses to make into tiny slips for stillborn babies. They deliver them to maternity units and the nurses dress the babies and photograph them. I know a young couple who lost a baby and they were totally overcome knowing that strangers cared enough to make these for their baby.

That's exactly what I was going to suggest too. It's a lovely idea to reuse them in that way.

Fancy dress?