20 Feb 2019
Why should you consider donating your wedding dress
Your “big” day was a great success but now that you are getting settled into your new life you need to decide what to do with your wedding dress! Yes you could keep it for your daughter or niece – if you have the room – but with fast changing wedding fashions that idea has become so yesteryear. Yes, you have spent tons of time and emotional energy on selecting your perfect wedding dress (and accessories) but perhaps now is the time to find it a good home. You are willing to accept that this dress was meant for you to wear it once and it’s time to move on.
Selling your dress allows you to possibly maximize the cash value of your dress. But be aware that the vast majority of pre-owned wedding dresses, based on our 21 years of selling experience of pre-owned wedding dresses, do not get resold. Wedding Dress listing sites are pretty and suggest it is easy but there are no guarantees. The listing costs are $25 and with up-charges, you can spend up to $100. Plus you now have to keep your dress around for 1-12 more months, spend time interacting with buyers, and likely endure the hassle of returns where try-on damages can occur without recourse. Another way to see if this whole process is for you is to talk to a few women that had success reselling their wedding dress – good luck finding them!
Donating your dress offers many benefits for a conscientious woman. Compared to selling your dress, donating offers possible cash value as you will receive an IRS 501(c)3 donation tax receipt which may offer you tax savings. The next step is deciding what organization to donate to. If you want the satisfaction of giving your beautiful wedding dress a second life with a less affluent bride-to-be then donating to a wedding dress-based charity is best. Otherwise, when donating to a large charity such as Goodwill, your dress can get lost in the shuffle or be unsold and possibly even shipped in a container to a far-off foreign country to some unknown end use. If you believe in helping the planet by recycling donating is a great option too!
Since 1997, Brides Against Breast Cancer 501(c)3 charity has been funding their charity mission by reselling pre-owned wedding dresses at very affordable prices. In 2018 they were covered in The New York Times Newspaper as well as on NCIS: Los Angeles TV show. Brides can easily donate their dress by using the web form on their website. The mission is early detection education as well as research funding. Since 1997 over $40,000,000 has been spent on mission funding.
The main reasons for donating a wedding dress or bridal gown are:
- Helps generate funds for early detection education charity programs
- Helps conscientious women give their beautiful wedding dress a “second life” by making it affordable for a less affluent bride-to-be.
- Helps save the earth by supporting recycling.
- Allows donor to receive a charity donation 501(c)3 tax receipt.
- Avoids the cost of money, time, and hassle of trying to resell a dress.
- Creates new storage space in your closet!
Brides Against Breast Cancer accepts dresses that are up to two years old or up to 4 years old if a classic “couture” wedding dress. Original retail prices must be at least $999 or if in brand new condition at least $299.
For more information please visit www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org