Chicago Wedding & Party Resource 2017 Spring / Summer

F A S H I O N S , J E W E L R Y , A C C E S S O R I E S F O R M E N & W O M E N

C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E

W W W . C H I C A G O W E D D I N G R E S O U R C E . C O M

You still love your wedding dress but, for one reason or

another, it’s time to let it go. Maybe it’s taking up valuable

real estate in the back of your closet or perhaps you’d really

like another bride to joyfully wear it down the aisle. Here

are eight different ways to give your gown a second act —

some are heartwarming, others clever, a few wacky but all

are wonderful!

1. TURN IT INTO A WEDDING ACCESSORY

Sewing becomes sentimental when you use fabric from

your wedding gown to make ring bearers’ pillows or a

chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy) for another bride’s “I

dos”. You can even start a family tradition where patches of

every bride’s wedding dress from different generations are

sewn into the lining of a new bride’s gown so she may carry

the wisdom of those women with her on her wedding day.

2. MAKE A DECORATIVE PHOTO MAT

Give your framed wedding photos a custom look by using

fabric from your dress to cover plain photo mats. You’ll

want to use the prettiest part of the dress, like the beadwork

on your skirt.

3. THROW A “TRASH THE WEDDING DRESS”

PARTY

Invite your friends to bring their own wedding or

bridesmaid gowns and have a ball — as in “paintball” —

messing up your dresses by shooting each other with paint.

Jumping in a pool or rolling around in mud while wearing

your dress work well too! Trashing is popular with jilted

brides, women getting remarried who want to destroy their

first-time dress and those who bought an inexpensive gown

not worth selling or passing down.

4. CONVERT IT TO A CHRISTENING GOWN

If you’d love to see your daughter wearing your wedding

dress, do it now while she’s young and can’t refuse the offer!

5. FASHION IT INTO JEWELRY

If you’d like some new necklaces, bracelets or earrings, get

out your wedding dress and start snipping. Some brides

stick a piece of lace in resin to create their jewels while

others send it to a designer. It creates an instant heirloom.

6. DONATE IT TO A WORTHY CAUSE

Plenty of local organizations would gladly take that silk

tulle gown off your hands. Check out a community theater

company, school drama club or a group that helps out

low-income brides. Some charities also accept donated

dresses, including Brides Across America, which distributes

wedding gowns to engaged military servicewomen and the

Bridal Garden, a nonprofit bridal boutique in New York

that funds education programs for disadvantaged youth.

7. WEAR IT AS A COSTUME

It’s easy to wear your wedding gown on Halloween since

there are so many possibilities: the Bride of Frankenstein,

Glinda the Good Witch, a tooth fairy.

8. RESTYLE IT FOR THE SECOND TIME

AROUND

Some brides are so wild about their dresses, they wear it

again at their second wedding! But first they make major

changes like altering the neckline, removing the sleeves or

turning it from a long gown to a short frock.

Reuse,

Repurpose

or Recycle

Your Dress

By Nancy Mattia, CTW Features

You only get to wear your wedding gown once, right?

Here’s how you can give it a new lease on life