Pre-loved wedding gowns (and where to donate used ones)
One of the biggest parts of getting married (for women at least) is the dress. But you don’t have to spend a fortune on buying a piece of clothing that you likely will only wear once. You could of course just buy a nice organic cotton white or cream dress (or any colour your want!)
But if you want a proper wedding dress, there are places where you can preloved gowns, to save money and stop waste. Then after you wear it, you can sell it on to someone else.
Still White is an online marketplace to buy pre-loved wedding dresses (plus dresses for mother-of-the-bride) to avoid spending the average £1500 on a typical wedding dress.
Launder synthetic fibres in a microfibre filter, to stop plastics escaping from the washing machine, going into the sea.
Oxfam has in-store and online dresses, starting from a reasonable £50. It is a ‘big charity’ but there are also many small charity shops you could find wedding dresses from too. However, only shop at stores that don’t fund animal testing (instead, donate to humane medical research).
Donate wedding gowns to help other brides
KEMP Hospice in Kidderminster (Worcestershire) offers local brides donated wedding gowns, with profits raising funds for terminally ill patients. The shop even has a custom bridal fitting room.
Wedding Wishing Well Foundation was founded by a young woman when diagnosed with cancer, and found her finances did not extend to a wedding dress. Again these dresses are donated to women with terminal illness.
Donate dresses to make baby burial gowns
Dresses for Angels is a charity, where donated gowns are turned into free burial gowns for angel babies, who have gone to Heaven earlier than most. Volunteer seamstresses pick apart wedding and bridesmaid dresses, so babies can be laid to rest wearing a donated gown.
