How to Sell Your Wedding Gown

Maybe you went way over budget buying the most divine wedding gown in creation and need some cash, or you don't have space to store it for the future. Sell the dress to recoup some of its cost.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Send your gown to a dry cleaner that specializes in bridal wear. Do this immediately after the wedding--perspiration or a teeny splash of champagne can yellow and set quickly. Point out and identify visible stains for treating.
2. Invest in a dust-proof heirloom box if you must store your dress even briefly. Some dry cleaners can hermetically seal it. Avoid plastic bags and hangers--they seal in humidity and can damage or stretch delicate fabrics.
3. Go to a consignment store that sells once-worn and never-worn bridal wear. Expect it to turn away any dress that isn't cleaned, pressed, with buttons intact and in near-mint condition.
4. Agree on a selling price. The store will take into account its styling (a fading fad or timeless statement), condition and age.
5. Sign a contract, usually for three months. Often you will receive 50 percent of the sale price. If it remains unsold at the end of the agreed-upon time frame, you or the store can extend the arrangement or end it.
6. Advertise your dress online. You'll need a full-length color photograph that really shows it off and a full description right down to the beading, condition, price paid and size.
7. Give your gown to a charity thrift shop if you don't need the cash. You will be doing a really nice deed for a bride on a budget (some say it's good luck to pass along your happiness), and you'll get a tax write-off. See How to Sell Used Clothing.

What to Look For:

• Heirloom box
• Consignment stores
• Charity thrift shop

Tips & Warnings

• See How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Dress.
• While your dress waits to find its new owner, keep it in top-notch condition. Stuff the bodice and sleeves with white, acid-free tissue paper. If you must use a hanger, sew some straps inside the dress's waistline to hook around the hanger for extra support and avoid any stretching. Cover your dress in a white sheet and keep it in a dry, cool spot.