Being asked to stand by your bestie’s side on their big day is an honor. It also comes with a few requirements, one of those being buying a bridesmaid dress. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to be in this role, you know the love hate relationship that comes with this dress. On the one hand, bridesmaid dresses today are much cuter than they were a couple of decades ago (sorry not sorry, early 2000s). Brides actually care if their bridesmaids look and feel good in the dresses they choose, and they almost always aim for the “you can wear this again” look. Let’s be honest though, nobody actually wears the dress again. We all just agree to spend the money on a one-time dress because it comes with the bridesmaid duties. But what if you could take that dress and use it in another way? We’ve come up with a few ideas for upcycling your bridesmaid dress so you get a little more than one night out of it! 

Reuse It

Obviously, if you can find a way to use the dress again, do that! You might have another wedding where the bride chooses the same color dresses, or it might be subtle enough to wear to another formal event. Need a Halloween costume? Throw the dress on and add a tiara for a beauty queen. Or add a little fake blood and some cuts to the fabric to make an easy, fashionable zombie! 

Get Crafty

The dress doesn’t have to stay the way it is! You might be able to dye it to a color you’re more likely to wear, and you could also alter it! Make it shorter, make it into a cute little set, or even use the fabric to make a skirt or top.You don’t even have to limit yourself to clothing here! Create something to give the bride that she’ll cherish forever! Use bits of the dress in a scrapbook, or maybe make a throw pillow or purse out of the fabric. Your only limit is your creativity. 

Be Generous

If you don’t feel like putting in the creative effort (we don’t blame you), you might look into donating the dress! There’s likely an organization in your area that accepts formal dresses to give out to students who can’t afford a prom dress. If you know another bridesmaid looking for a dress in your size/color, offer to let them borrow or buy it from you! Have any littles in your life that love to play dress up? A bridesmaid dress would be the perfect addition to their closet. 

Save It 

This option requires the least amount of effort and thought. Just put the dress back in the garment bag and stick it in the back of your closet. You can send a picture of it to the bride when you find it again in your closet cleanout every three years. 20 years from now, it will be considered vintage and your kids might want to wear it for something. 

Regardless of how you use your bridesmaid dress after the wedding, you’re sure to have some (hopefully) fond memories from the celebration! Have other ideas for how to upcycle a bridesmaid dress? Let us know in the comments! 

by Katie Woodall

By: Katie Woodall
Title: After the I Do: Ideas for Upcycling Your Bridesmaid Dress
Sourced From: www.weddingandpartynetwork.com/blog/wedding-tips/do-ideas-upcycling-bridesmaid-dress/
Published Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:00:47 +0000

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