Now what do you do with your wedding dress?

You probably spent months looking for that one special dress that would leave your soon-to-be husband speechless the first time he saw you walk down the aisle. Not only did it take time to find it but you probably paid a good price for it too. So now that you’re married, do you sell, keep and preserve, donate or trash the wedding dress of your dreams.

For some brides, the thought of wearing the dress again is unlikely. For others, the emotional attachment is low versus the instant cash back. And in all cases, to know another bride will put good use to the dress again is always a positive. If you want to sell your dress, there are several ways to do so. You can list it in the classified ads, or advertise online via Craigslist, Kijiji, Ebay, and other more general used items for sale sites. There are consignment shops for bridal dresses, and web sites that specifically offer online listing services for pre-owned wedding gowns. Any which way, make sure to set the price taking into account the style, the condition and the age of the dress.

If your plans are to keep your dress and pass it on as an heirloom, then you will want to take it to a reputable dry cleaner that is specially trained in cleaning and preserving wedding gowns. Take the time to find a company who you trust. Once it’s been cleaned you can chose one of two preservation techniques: Vacuum-Sealed Box Storage (acid-free) or Hanging Storage - make sure to keep in a temperate, dry place, out of direct sunlight - either way will insure flawless gown preservation until you are ready to pass it on.

Do you want to do a nice deed for a bride on a budget and pass along the happiness that the dress brought you on your wedding day? If the cash back is not a consideration then why not donate the dress to a charity such as the Brides’ Project which was started in 2004. It has two very important purposes: to provide every budget-conscious bride with the things they need for a beautiful wedding and to help children and adults with cancer.

And for those who want to have fun in their dress one more time around, the newest trend is trashing the dress. There’s a certain level of appeal to wear the wedding gown one more time while trudging through mud, getting wet or dirty on a beach, at a farm, riding horses, or walking through the city with no care in the world…all while being photographed and capturing memories in the dress a second time around. Whether it’s for fun or an excuse to wear the dress again, it might also symbolize the strength in the marriage and the unity of the vows for eternity.

So what will you plan to do with your wedding dress – sell, keep and preserve, donate or trash – no matter what, the bride is what makes the dress beautiful not the other way around!