After the Aisle: What to Do With Your Wedding Dress After the Wedding

Photo by Something Bleuu

The music fades, the flowers wilt, and the cake is just crumbs—but your wedding dress? She's lucky if she even gets put back in the bag at the end of the night! You go on the honeymoon and your poor dress lays in a crumpled heap in the trunk of your car for two weeks. When you finally take it out, it's a smelly mess. Don't worry. Your dress can have a life after the aisle. Whether you want to preserve it, repurpose it, or pass it on, here’s everything you need to know about caring for your gown after the big day.

1. Have It Professionally Cleaned ASAP

Even if your dress looks spotless, there's a good chance it's picked up sweat, oils, grass stains, or champagne spills—especially if you danced the night away or took outdoor photos (hello, Montana weddings!).

Why we recommend it: Hidden stains can darken over time, and delicate fabrics like lace or silk are especially vulnerable.

What to do: Bring your gown into our shop as soon as possible after your wedding—we partner with a trusted wedding gown cleaning and preservation service to ensure your dress is cleaned safely and thoroughly by experts. Drop it with us and we'll call you when it's ready! Whatever you do, make sure you let the professionals handle it! That handwash cycle on your washer wasn't made for wedding gowns.

Bonus tip: bring your veil along and we'll have them preserved together!

2. Preserve It for the Future

If you plan to keep your gown (whether for sentimental reasons or to pass it down one day), professional preservation is the best way to keep it in pristine condition.

What’s involved:

• Expert cleaning

• Acid-free tissue and boxing

• Vacuum-sealed packaging to prevent yellowing, humidity, and dust

• Bonus tip: bring your veil along and we'll have them preserved together!

  
  

We’ve Got You Covered: Here at Mimi's Bridal in Kalispell, Montana, we offer wedding gown hassle-free preservation packages. Simply drop off your dress and we’ll handle the rest—from sending it to the preservation specialist to safely packaging it for long-term storage.

3. Repurpose or Restyle It

Photo by Glacier's Echo Digital

Not all dresses are meant to sit in boxes. Some brides turn their gowns into something entirely new.

Creative ideas:

• Tailor it into a reception or anniversary dress

• Use lace or fabric for a newborn gown, Christmas ornaments, or keepsake pillows

• Create a “first anniversary” photo shoot in a reimagined version

  
  

4. Sell or Donate It

If you’re ready to part with your dress, your gown can bring someone else just as much joy.

Selling your dress: Websites like Stillwhite, Nearly Newlywed, or Poshmark Bridal are great options for resale.

Donating your dress:

• Brides Across America (for military brides)

• The Bridal Garden

• Local theatre or nonprofit groups that accept formalwear

  
  

Let Us Help You Preserve the Magic

At Mimi's Bridal, we believe your gown deserves just as much care after the wedding as it did before.

We offer hassle-free wedding gown preservation services that take the guesswork out of the process. Just bring in your dress after the big day—we’ll take care of cleaning, packaging, and shipping to ensure it’s preserved for generations (or your own future daughter’s “something borrowed”).

Stop by the shop or call us to schedule your gown preservation drop-off today.

You made beautiful memories in your dress. Let’s make sure it lasts—whether you seal it up, transform it, or pass it on. However you choose to honor it, we’re here to help you every step of the way.