Give Your Wedding Dress A Second Life By Donating To A Meaningful Charity That Is Devoted To Helping Women
In 2015, the nicu helping hands angel gown program accepted 15,000 wedding dresses, which seamstresses then remade into gowns for photos and burial services honoring the infants of bereaved parents. Thank you so much to every single person who made the decision to part with their wedding dresses and wedding items for our wedding outfit amnesty. Donate your wedding dress for a good cause.
Donating A Dress The Ecological Choice
Donate a dress to charity and you wont simply be helping a young woman enjoy one of lifes memorable moments ñ youll also be helping the environment. A dress that can be worn a second or third time around means that fewer reusable, recyclable items are heading off to the overflowing landfills. Donate a dress to charity and make your good deed count twice!
Upcycle The Wedding Dress
The wedding dress is made up of several elements and details. You can use them to create other items like lingerie or select some parts to modify your existing clothes.
There are many craft ideas that you can make from the materials and embellishments of the wedding dress. You dont need to be an expert in sewing and arts to make gorgeous jewelry or even decors.
For example, some parts of the wedding dress can be used to decorate your artwork, such as journals and cards. You can even use the fabric for flower bouquets.
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How To Prepare Your Wedding Dress For Donation
While most charities and shops offer to clean your donation items, some have a few guidelines about donations. Others may also charge an extra fee for cleaning. Here is a checklist to follow in making sure your donations are in the best conditions.
1. Contact the Organizations in advance. Ask what they need specifically, as well as for their donation schedule and protocols. Most charities and thrift shops that accept wedding dresses require them to be less than five years old.
2. Inspect the gown for wear and tear. When left in storage for too long, some items and certain types of fabric may develop mold. If your wedding dress looks to be in bad condition, the charity will most likely have to throw it out.
3. Wash or dry clean in advance. This step is graciously helpful for the volunteers, especially if youre donating your wedding dress or other items during the pandemic. According to the CDC, the COVID-19 virus can remain on surfaces and certain fabrics for a couple of days. You can also use a disinfectant spray on non-washable items.
4. Double-check items before packing. Ensure you havent accidentally packed items you planned to keep. Always check the pockets for small personal items, such as wallets and money.
Donate Your Wedding Dressbut Where
Many popular local donation sites such as Goodwill and Salvation Army will accept wedding dress donations. Although Im a huge fan of both of these organizations, it was really important to me that I know specifically who my donated dress would be helping .
Having this information makes it easier for me to imagine the dress bringing joy to its new owner, which makes it much easier for me to part with it.
If you do a simple internet search for donate your wedding dress, youll find some great resources out there, including preownedweddingdresses.com and donatemyweddingdress.org, that provide a comprehensive directory of wedding dress donation options.
Here are a few of the ones I checked out:
Brides Across America This awesome charity helps US military brides by giving them free wedding dresses.
Wish Upon A Wedding Donate your dress to Wish Upon a Wedding and help couples facing terminal illness celebrate their dream wedding or vow renewal. Good stuff.
Fairytale Brides on a Shoestring â Donations to this nonprofit bridal boutique provide reduced price bridal gowns and accessories for underprivileged women in the D.C. area. Fairytale Brides on a Shoestring also provides opportunities for local high school students to learn about the fashion industry and gain retail work experience.
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Where Can I Donate A Dress
DonationTown.org has a database of hundreds of charities nationwide. Within minutes, you will be able to locate a charity near year that will accept your dress and other donations, and even be able to schedule a free pickup of your donations. DonationTown.org will put you and a local charity in touch, at no charge to either party.
Converting It Into A Table Runner Or Napkin Holder
Converting it into a table runner or napkin holder is a great way to recycle wedding dresses. You can cut the dress into strips and place them side-by-side on a table runner or as handkerchiefs sewn together along one edge, for example.
The possibilities are endless with this idea of how you recycle your wedding dress after it has served its time in being worn by you on your special day.
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Fill Out Your Tax Donation Receipt
Thank you for your donation to Beccas Closet, a 501 non-profit organization . The clothing will be donated to high school students who cannot afford to purchase formal attire for their homecomings and proms, and who would otherwise be unable to attend these events. The donor received no goods or services in return for this contribution. Beccas Closet can provide this receipt as substantiation for contributions only on the date of the donation. This document will serve as confirmation of your donation. See your tax preparer about requirements for donation tax deductions. Beccas Closet may not establish or confirm value, amount or inventory of donated goods. Beccas Closet only accepts merchandise in good used condition. Complete the section below and keep this document for your tax purposes. Please list items donated or attach a separate invoice:
Beccas Closet welcomes donations of new and gently worn long and short formal dresses in all sizes, especially small sizes and large sizes . Please! No wedding gowns, business wear or everyday clothing! Not sure if your dress is appropriate? Check out some guidelines listed below.
Where To Donate An Old Wedding Dress
If you got married recently or a few years ago, there is a high chance that you are left with one token. You do not need to hold on to your wedding dress. Usually, brides spend a large amount of the wedding budget on their attire.
Most brides will only wear this dress once, hoping there will be another chance, which is not the case. If you are looking for ideas for where to donate an old wedding dress, we have got some options for you.
Think how amazing it would be if a bride that is underprivileged gets to enjoy your expensive bridal gown too. If you donate the dress, it can help a family or bride in need and make you feel better. Another cherry on the cake is donations are tax-deductible.
Many non-profit organizations collect wedding dress donations and distribute them to brides in need. They also sell them at lower prices. Not just a bridal dress, bridesmaid dresses, and flower girl dresses can also be donated. You can even donate bridal accessories.
Before deciding where to donate an old wedding dress, make sure you have your receipts and other purchasing documentation related to the wedding accessories so that you can determine the fair market value. Some charitable organizations recycle wedding dresses as well. Many charity institutions act as a middleman, so you do not have to think about where to donate old wedding dress.
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Ways To Recycle Your Wedding Dress
After spending a large chunk of change, waiting patiently for months and then only wearing your beloved gown for less than 24 hours, its understandably heartbreaking when your special day comes to an end. Instead of mourning your loss by sneakily hosting a bridal fashion show every time your other half leaves the house, here are five ways to recycle your wedding dress. These will give you the feel good factor and also give you a new task to concentrate on after the big day.
Brides Against Breast Cancer
Support the fight against breast cancer through Brides Against Breast Cancer. This nonprofit is dedicated to providing early cancer awareness and detection programs as well as reducing the environmental impact of wedding dress manufacturing. The organization resells pre-owned wedding dresses at affordable prices, using the sales proceeds to help breast cancer causes.
Accepted items: Wedding dresses of 35 years in excellent condition and bridal accessories.
How to donate: Use the donation form on the website, email, or contact client service directly to receive shipping instructions.
COVID-19 update: The organization continues to accept wedding dress donations through the mail and is relaunching its online store in early 2021.
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What Do You Do With Used Wedding Gowns
Other organizations you may consider donating to include:
- Fairytale Brides – This organization accepts wedding dress donations. All proceeds from the sale of the dress go towards Johns Hopkins Suburban Hospital Breast Center, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Alzheimer’s Association.
- Cherie Sustainable Bridal – This company support the Success in Style nonprofit that assists individuals in dressing and prepping for interviews so they have the best chance possible at landing a new job. Wedding dresses can be dropped off in person or mailed in.
- Adorned in Grace – This organization raises money to bring awareness to human trafficking and provides support to survivors. Dresses and accessories less than five years old are accepted as donations. These can be dropped off or mailed in.
Donate Your Wedding Dress
Sadly we have had to take the decision to suspend our Wedding Dress Exchange due to the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
If you are really keen to donate your gown for little ones who could not stay for the time being please hang on to your gown at your home.
You should store your gown at home wrapped in acid free tissue paper and place within a secure pet, moth and damp free enviornment.
Hopefully as more is learned about this current pandemic the advice from Government around donated clothes will be updated.
We will post on this page to let you know when we are able to reopen our Wedding Dress Exchange.
Thankyou for the interest in donating your dress to us, you can do so by joining our Wedding Dress Exchange group on Facebook.
We often get questions on how to do this so the following information should answer lots of your questions.
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How I Decided To Donate My Wedding Dress
I asked myself the same questions and came to this conclusion:
I am not going to wear my wedding dress ever again . If I ever have a daughter, she is not going to want to wear it either and I would want her to choose her own dress!
So Im literally just moving it around from place to place.
For 11 years, my dress hung in the back of five different guest room closets. When it came to us downsizing into the RV, I decided I wasnt going to let it hang in our storage unit while we traveled.
It was time to let it go.
I have some advice for you if you decide to do the same thing.
Great Charities To Donate Your Used Wedding Dress
by Affordable Preservation Co. | Nov 10, 2014 | Wedding Gown Preservation |
After the wonder of your own wedding day, you are probably feeling blessed and happy in your new life. You may even want to share the wealth and pay it forward. If you were wondering if there is a way to pay it forward with your used wedding dress, the answer is absolutely.
There are several charities that currently will accept a used wedding dress as a donation. Weve collected just a few of the many worthy charities.
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Donate Wedding Dresses For Babies
Some organizations use donated wedding dresses to make gowns for infants who have passed away. Providing special gowns for infants who have passed away can be especially meaningful for the parents who have experienced this type of loss.
- The Angel Gown Program is part of the NICU Helping Hands 501c3 organization. This program provides custom made gowns for infants who have passed away.
- Newborns in Need is a nonprofit that provides bereavement gowns to premature up to full-term infants who have passed away.
- Rachel’s Gift is a nonprofit organization that makes custom infant burial gowns.
Donate A Dress To Charity
For so many people, weddings, proms and other special occasions are unforgettable moments to be treasured for a lifetime. Yet the considerable expenses associated with these occasions the wedding venue, the prom ticket, the dinner, the accessories, the hairdo make them far out of reach for some young women.
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Supports A Bride In Need
From disaster victims to the many couples struggling financially right now, many individuals are looking for affordable clothing, including wedding dresses. With millions of people unemployed or experiencing a significant decrease in income during the pandemic, many couples cannot afford their dream weddings. Your donation can help provide a dress for a bride experiencing financial hardships.
Where & How To Donate Or Sell Your Wedding Dress
Brides shell out a ton of cash planning their wedding, and the biggest chunk sometimes goes to their wedding dress, which theyll wear for only a few hours.
Yes, it may be the most important day of your life, but you really dont want to leave it gathering dust in your closet for decades, right?
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Option #: Brides Across America
Brides Across America lends a helping hand to military brides who wouldnt be able to otherwise afford the gown of their dreams. The charity, located in North Andover, Massachusetts, matches gowns with brides in the military, or marrying military personnel free of charge.
Brides Across America also accepts accessories, including tiaras and veils. They do not accept petticoats or undergarments. To send in your dress, you must visit the website and download the accompanying form. Dresses must be less than five years old.
Charity For Donating Your Wedding Dress
The charity, called Cherished Gowns for Angel Babies UK, says that over 3,000 babies unfortunately suffer this fate and often, during these devastating times, parents can struggle to find appropriate attire in which to dress the babies, and this is where the charity steps in.
Another fabulous non profit charity is Dresses for Angels, who also take bridesmaid dress donations, and turn them into beautiful gowns for stepping babies. Creating a full pack for families. Started in January 2016.
I became aware of the site after a client mentioned they had noted their wedding dress, after all, most of the time wedding dresses are locked up one the wardrobe in stuck in the lost never to been again. So what a lovely way of extending the love.
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