The Next Life

Doesn't it look like there's a mummy in my garment bag?

Well, my lovely dress is having a rest, and it has been sitting on the futon in our office for the almost four weeks that I have been married. Honestly, I don't know what to do with it. I know that I need to get it cleaned, but what should my dress' next life be?

There are obviously quite a few options for what I can do with my dress post-wedding:

1) Preserve It - I always have the option of keeping my dress for my daughters. I have to admit that this option is not really too appealing to me? Why? Well, Mr. Swan's family tends to produce male children. JUST KIDDING! :) But seriously, that's a consideration, no? I may just not have any daughters at all. The one daughter I may have may not like my style; and hey, my style may be out of style by the time she's ready to get married. Another practical consideration: where am I going to put it? I do have a nice sized closet for a New York City apartment, but my dress will take up a fair amount of space that I'd like to use for clothes I'll actually wear. Plus some of the costs of professional preservation have surprised me. Ummm...how much? Hmm...

2) Sell It - The semi-capitalist in me wants to just sell my dress. It will create the space in my closet that I need and maybe I can make a little moola in the process! I will say that I am pretty intimidated about the selling process. Do I use Craiglist, Once Wed, Bravo Bride, PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, Ebay? There are so many options. Am I missing any? I'd love to know if any of you have used these services and which was most user-friendly for you.

3) Donate It - I like the idea of my dress not only helping out another bride, but also possibly helping out a larger cause. I'm definitely considering Bridal Garden, a great used gown store whose proceeds go to local educational charities here in Brooklyn. While I may not get the financial reward from this option (well perhaps a tax credit), I think that my gown will bring some happiness to a lot more people than I will ever imagine. Bridal Garden will allow me to help my actual community. That said I don't know if they want my David's Bridal dress (everything there was a bit more designer when I visited), but maybe they're not picky? Also I know that Brides Against Breast Cancer is a popular option, but I am not sure if they are active in New York (correct me if I am wrong, my people). I would be even happier to donate my dress to them as my aunt died of breast cancer several years ago. I missed her at the wedding.

What are you planning to do with your dress after you get married? Have you thought of any options that I have not?