I was the fourth person to wear my mother’s 1953 wedding dress (extended family was quite economy minded!). It’s still in the box in the basement, neither daughter is interested, but I can’t yet bring myself to get rid of it.
There will definitely NOT be a photo of me trying to squeeze into that teeny dress!
I need to get rid of mine - two sons and no daughters. I got married in 2002 so it is fairly current - strapless, off white silk with beautiful embroidery around the neck and on the train. I don’t know what to do with it - it has a very slight discoloration on the fabric so I don’t think I can sell it. It is real silk and cost a lot (not sure what I was thinking) so I hate to just discard it. I’ve tried to donate but there has been no interest - already too many gowns.
Mine was a more casual two-piece – the top had a big lace collar with elastic, so it could be slipped down to off-the-shoulder, and the skirt was tiered. Both pieces were ivory silk. It’s still upstairs in a closet. You all have made me consider trying it on, although I doubt I’ll be able to close the waist on the skirt. Both DILs bought their own dresses for their weddings, but one of my DILs might enjoy my wedding dress for some reason or other. She likes vintage, eclectic designs.
I guess I was as interested in how you all felt about your dress, getting rid of it or keeping, as well as what you did with it. Were you not sentimental about it when it came time to get rid of it…or not as much? I don’t know why I’m having such difficulty . Like I said, I just know in my gut when I’m gone, someone will just get rid of it instead of carting it around.
Since it’s bothering me, maybe instead of having it professionally preserved again for 20 years, I should just put it back in the box I unsealed and just look at it whenever I want. I have room in my house. Perhaps if we ever downsize I’ll get rid of it then. Maybe it’s not seeing it but for every 20 years that is stirring up emotions.
I did try it on but couldn’t zip it past my waist. My babies gave me a “V” torso at the sides, when it used to be just straight. I have read it’s not uncommon for our ribcages to be pushed with pregnancies. It was also like that when I tried on at our 20th anniversary, so not sure why I thought it would be different at my 40th.
I don’t feel emotionally attached to my wedding dress at this point. I have the photo album (which I treasure), great memories of the day, and (most importantly) a happy marriage.
I felt beautiful in the dress on my wedding day but I know that I would never be able to recreate that feeling (even if I could fit into the dress again).
I struggled with donating my gown but once it was clear that my D would never ever be able to use it, it seemed like a good thing to do in memory of our son. It made me feel good that it was going to bring a small amount of comfort to a newly bereaved parent, and one less thing they needed to worry about.
I’m in the same situation you were in–my D24 is 4-5 inches taller than I am, and I was just tiny in my bones. She could take some of the material for something. It is too bad because it was a really minimal and lovely gown for 1996 (summer, cap sleeves, lace bodice and tulle chapel train). However, it’s always good for a daughter to have her own gown. We’ll see what happens.
No real emotional attachment to me dress.
And I never preserved it. It went in a garment type bag in a box. I haven’t examined it inch by inch but besides probably yellowing a bit, it hasn’t disintegrated or anything!
If you’re struggling, then just hold onto it!
There is no urgency to get rid of it, right?
Idk if this is what you are experiencing or not, but sometimes that kind of thing just gives me pause about the passage of time, in general. Forty years is a long time, and I think it can be like, “How could this much time have passed already?? It can’t be possible!!”
Maybe you are having some emotions connected to your son’s upcoming wedding? Not bad emotions - just a mix of things. Hoping he’ll have the kind of marriage you want for him, that he and his bride will stay married, reflecting on your own marriage, thinking how you can’t believe he’s getting married himself, etc. I’m speculating of course
Yeah, I should get rid of mine. It’s preserved in a box. I know I’d never fit in it as not only have I gained 20 pounds, but my rib cage expanded with babies. It fit like a glove. It’s literally a timeless dress - I bought it in a consignment shop and they told me it was from the 1930s. It was very simple ivory silk with a beaded bodice, v-neck, long sleeves and many buttons down the back. I felt like Katharine Hepburn in it. All my friends went either Laura Ashley or full blown Princess Di, but this was much more my style.
I was still tomboyish when shopping for wedding dresses in 1979. My mother envisioned a high couture dress, which I would have nothing to do with! She was pulling out dresses left and right, which in my eye, were ugly! I pulled one long sleeved laces dress, tried it on, and announced I was done! 
Nothing the sales woman or my mother said was going to change my mind. I added a lace hat in the shape of a cowboy hat and was done. I think my mother picked out the train and veil; I did not care.
When my daughter, who is 7 inches taller than me was engaged, we decided to open the preserved box, wondering it my dress would really be in there. She slipped it on, with no intentions of wearing it. We had a good laugh at her in the dress, took a picture, then shoved it back in the box, where it sits now. Her dress is also in a box under mine, and while I have the room, I guess we will keep both.
Not attached to mine although I loved it at the time. Daughter would have no interest in it. It’s actually in the garage as my DH cleaned out the attic last year I said take everything to the curb- if we haven’t gone up there in 20 years it means we don’t need any of that stuff. Well, he couldn’t throw the dress out.
A friend gave me the idea of making Christmas tree angels for each of my kids but that will probably never happen. I like the idea of donating to the Angel gowns- thank you, @momofboiler1 for the link.
I only tried on one dress.
The plan was that I would work a half day, mom and I would go to lunch, and then we’d dress shop. At 10:10 a.m. my mother called me from the bridal store and said she’d found my dress. She must have had her nose pressed against the glass waiting for them to open at 10:00 - ha ha! I told her she was just going to have to wait another couple of hours. I tried it on. It was fine by me. I had no pre-conceived idea of what I wanted. She loved it, and it was a designer gown that was on sale (my mama always loved a bargain).
I would have given mine away or sold it but DH and sons were appalled and shocked, so it is safely and pristinely in the dry cleaner box. Right next to DiLs, but she will be selling hers this spring.
I loved my dress then and now. It has a chapel length train and the only thing I would change is having a longer one. Somehow I avoided the Princess Di lookso it is more like Disney Cinderella.
Mine was chapel length too. I really wanted a longer one, but had no idea if that could be custom made. I never asked.
Based on this thread, I went upstairs to see my two-piece wedding dress. The top is missing! I have no idea where it went, but I’ve been married for 45 years, so I guess at some point it just got up and walked away!
At the time we got married, my wedding dress was the most expensive thing we ( my future husband and I) owned (900-1000 dollars including alterations). The most expensive thing was our Honda Civic.
My mother said it was inappropriate and grandstanding and vulgar to have a long train…
I will comment on the preserving. Don’t waste your money if your daughters get married. Get the dress cleaned and store in a cloth bag if you must keep it.
I volunteer in a charity thrift shop. We get many older wedding dress donations in unopened preserved boxes. They are just as discolored and dry rotted as similar dresses that come in on hangers.
I vote for sending your dress to Angel Gowns. It’s a very very worthy cause. As the parent of a NICU graduate, we saw (sadly) a number of babies whose families would have appreciated this kindness.
Adding, my MIL kept her dress. 30 years later, her younger daughter wore it. MIL then kept it again hoping her granddaughters might be interested. Let’s just say, they chose to go in a different direction.
I will add…these older dresses seldom sell even at low prices. Some people do buy them for crafting projects.
My dress was actually on sale in the prom section of JC Pennys. I loved it–about the only one I tried on. My mom miraculously found the exact lace on my dress to match and made my veil. I still have my veil but ditched the dress eons ago.
Just a couple days ago my sis and I ran into an absolutely gorgeous beaded bridal gown at a church thrift shop. Plus veil and flower girl dresses. All we could imagine was the delight of the person who found it.