Brides Across America

We all know that weddings take so much time and planning, making the bride and groom’s dreams come true. But after the big day is all said and done and the newlywed couple returns from their romantic honeymoon to Bora Bora (I wish!), it’s a new normal. Everything wedding-related gets put away. And with that, the bride has a big decision to make: what to do with her wedding dress?

We all know it’s worn for a day, and not even an entire day, and then it sits in all its glory, stored, preserved, forgotten about. Some brides think they want to keep it for their daughter someday. Some just can’t part with it and preserve it for their memories. Some display it in their home. Regardless, something has to be done with it.

In all honesty, my wedding dress sat in my parents’ closet for 2 years after the wedding, with all intentions of getting it cleaned and possibly preserved. For what? I have no idea. The thought of my future daughter wearing it never crossed my mind because her tastes would most likely differ from mine, and she’d want her own dress for her big day. It’s part of the process in preparing to marry the love of your life. Looking back, I wouldn’t have worn my mother’s dress, as it was traditional, had sleeves, and LOTS of lace. Who knows what would be ‘in style’ if and when my daughter would marry. And what were the chances we’d even be a similar size? Just, no.

However, things are different now. Going through a divorce meant I had to make the decision again: what to do with my wedding dress? I thought about it for a little while and my sister came up with a pretty intriguing idea to trash the dress while wearing it: paint, mud, hay, you name it. That sounded like a fun, fun time, but I wanted to do more. My mind was set on donating my wedding dress.

I came across Brides Across America, and I was hooked instantly. This is an organization that gives military brides free wedding gowns that they wouldn’t otherwise receive, whether due to deployments, financial hardships, or other challenges unique to servicemen and women.

Donating to Brides Across America is super simple. If interested, you simply answer a few questions here, and they email you back on whether they’ll accept your dress or not. I was thrilled when I was notified that they were interested in my dress! It was finally happening.

My dress was a typical ‘princess’ dress and had a pretty full skirt, so I took it in to a UPS store and the guy helped me find the smallest box to put it in. From there, I added a small fee ($100) for cleaning and sent it on its merry way! I prayed for the woman that would receive my dress and hope that she enjoys wearing it on her special day and for the beginning of her new life.

Have you considered donating your wedding dress? If you have any questions about it, please feel free to ask!