Have you been thinking about what to do with your wedding dress? Rather than preserving it, consider making something out of it! I created a beautiful blessing gown for my daughter, but I've got some other ideas for you too.
The first time I saw this polka dot wedding dress in a catalog when I was 17, I thought it was just so big and a little nontraditional, but it was so ME! I ripped out the picture and stored it away, thinking that maybe I'd fall in love with a different dress when I actually got married, but kind of knew I'd come back to this one.
Another reason why I loved it so much was because I looked at it and could envision a baby blessing dress made out of the fabric. I saw myself as both a bride and a mother, and holding a sweet baby girl in that polka dotted white.
Turn your wedding dress into a blessing dress
I'm sitting at 34 weeks pregnant with my first girl, and that little white baby dress is sewn, dry-cleaned, and hanging on a hook, all ready for her! I only momentarily debated between keeping my wedding dress preserved to pull out at our 50th anniversary (like both my grandmothers and mother are doing), but I decided that this is something I really wanted to do, and in a way that distinguishes our generation from others. Rather than holding onto sentimentalities and storing them away, we are not of the mindset to tote around anything that isn't useful to us right now. We live in a practically paperless world where everything can be scanned, digitally filed, and thrown away. Unlike generations who lived through the Great Depression, we are quick to clear out clutter, donate clothes not being worn, and sell or gift away anything that doesn't fit in our living space. We know how to eBay and Craigslist our old things, and we are always updating and trying to simplify.
Rather than moving my big, fluffy dress around for another 20 years, sitting in a box and nearly forgotten, I decided I'd much rather USE it. I wanted to cut it up, use it up, make, sew, and create little pieces of memories I'd be able to see again and again. For my daughters and for my granddaughters, little pieces here and there over years and years. Maybe a small part of this dress will be used in my daughter's wedding in her veil, a hankie, a ring pillow, or a garter. Maybe my granddaughters will each get a pair of sewn baby slippers from the polka dot sheer. Part of it could be made into bassinet skirting, a dress up princess dress, doll clothes, or a flower girl dress. It might show up in another few decades as a pillow sham, a prom dress, or pieced into a quilt! Maybe all of my posterity for generations to come will be able to identify those polka dots and remember that it came from "Great Grandma Camille's wedding dress". I don't care if eventually the entire dress is used -- every square inch made into something I can share. I'm beaming over the idea of getting to see this tangible reminder of the happiest day of my life resurface again and again!
If you've always wanted to do this, but are still having a hard time with the idea, consider just taking some fabric out of the back of your wedding dress, the hem, or exclusively from the train. The front and top can still always be left intact and it will look just as pristine in a box. If you don't have the heart to do it yourself, hire a seamstress to do the deed, after you impress the importance of this fabric to her!
At my 50th, I probably won't have any of my wedding dress on display, but I hope to have a big wedding day picture to view, and all of my daughters and granddaughters will smile when they see that dress, and know that a part of it went to them, and that I love them very much!
Here are a few patterns that might help:
McCall's Patterns M6221 Infants' Christening Gown, Rompers, All sizesSimplicity Sewing Pattern 2457 Babies' Special Occasion, A (XXS-XS-S-M)
Simplicity 7024 Design Your Own Christening Dress, Babies Dresses, Rompers Pattern
Butterick Patterns B4052 Infants' Christening / Baptism Gown, Dress, Jumpsuit and Hat
Star says
That's so AWESOME!!!
Love that idea...
Those dresses are adorable...
And I agree, now a days we don't hang onto things for our future generations to 'wear' or save later on down the road...
Cutting it up and making different outfits like that for them was a great idea...
I personally donated my dress b/c I felt like it had bad juju and hoped it would give it some GOOD juju to do so... LOL
LONG STORY THERE...
But I have boys anyway, so it wouldn't have done me any good to keep my dress or make anything out of it either way...
Love your site!!!
Linda says
Beautiful little blessing dress! You are so creative!
It's been 6 years since I got married and my dress has just been sitting in my closet. I recently learned about an organization that uses wedding dresses to make sweet little gowns for stillborn babies to wear. I knew instantly that is where I want my dress to go!
Amy says
I also donated my wedding dress to angel gowns to go to the hospitals for the babies that don't make it. But then again my dress wasn't sentimental. It was like my 4th choice and I got pushed into getting that one by my mother in law. What you are doing is a beutiful way to remember your special day and special dress.
kilija says
Absolutely beautiful
Kristin Rumian says
That is such a good idea, oh my God!! I really think it's a great idea to make your wedding dress into a Christening gown or special dress for your baby. I would have never thought of that! And that wedding dress is absolutely stunning.
Rachel C says
That's a really beautiful dress and a beautiful idea. I love it! It is fun to think and hope for future generations.
Also, Linda who commented - thats a beautiful idea as well. I had never heard of either of these, so it's something to think about for sure. My dress is preserved in our basement, and with 4 daughters I do have the hope that maybe someone will wear it?! I think it's pretty timeless and classic but they may have other ideas!
Niki Schooley says
Just came across this on Pinterest. I love your story of picking your dress, because I did the exact same thing! I chose my dress from a magazine 3 years before I got married, and searched for a dress shop that could order it for me! I still have my dress stored away 15 years later, but it's been used as a Cinderalla wedding gown for a play and I'm not opposed to reusing or recycling it. I also recently turned a friend's great grandmother's wedding dress into a baptism dress for her daughter. I was sad cutting it up, but the baby gown was beautiful and sentimental!
Georgia says
I think that's beautiful! Can I ask who you had it done through? I'm in Utah and we adopted a baby in July. We are finalizing the adoption in December and want to bless her in a dress made from my wedding gown and I'm having a difficult time finding someone who will make it the way I want it. I absolutely love yours!
Camille says
Hi Georgia, thank you, and congrats on your newly adopted baby!! I did the baby dress myself, and sadly don't live in Utah anymore, but I can ask around and see if I there are any Utah seamstresses I know who would be up for the challenge!
Georgia says
You are such a talented seamstress! It really is so beautiful. Thanks for asking around - we finalize in one month so the timeline might be a bit short.
Amanda says
Hey!
So I came across this post on Pinterest, and I was freaking out because I have the same wedding dress!!! I had just had a baby girl and was looking for a pattern for my mom so she could sew the blessing gown. I want to keep my dress... But we found the same polka dot fabric at JoAnn, and was able to use the wedding gown as inspiration! Now my older daughter is going to be baptized soon. So we are going to use that polka dot fabric and make her a dress as well! Now all three of us girls will each have our white polka dot dresses! Thanks for the idea! Wish I could send you a photo of our dress! It turned out so cute!
Ruth V. says
Amanda, I would LOVE to see a photo! If you'd like, you can email one to [email protected]