If you want to know where can I donate my wedding dress locally, please check these three charities and organizations to help a bride get a wedding dress for her wedding. We’ve also included places where you can donate bridal gowns to the military and if your wedding dress is considered vintage.
But brides who need money can consider selling their wedding gown. For example, read this guide on how to sell a wedding dress on Poshmark.
Where Can I Donate My Wedding Dress Locally
Brides for a Cause
One of the best places you can consider donating wedding dresses is Brides for a Cause. They have four locations in the US where you can drop off or mail your wedding dress.
This non-profit organization uses its funds raise from reselling wedding dresses for national women-focused charities. As of this writing, the donated wedding dresses are over 23,000, and they have raised over a million dollars for charity.
However, remember that Brides for a Cause only accepts dresses five years or newer. Consider other places if you own a vintage wedding dress.
Adorned in Grace
If you live in Portland, Tacoma, or Arizona, consider donating your wedding dress to Adorned in Grace. If you have other wedding attire like those worn by the bridal party, you can also donate it to them.
Adorned in Grace is a part of Compassion Connect, and its vision is to have communities where people are safe from sexual exploitation. Just remember to clean the wedding dress before donating or provide monetary donations to cover the cleaning costs.
Furthermore, Adorned in Grace does not accept vintage wedding dresses. They only accept wedding dresses that are five years or younger that you can ship or drop to them.
Brides Against Breast Cancer
Brides passionate about fighting against breast cancer can donate their wedding gowns to Brides Against Breast Cancer. This non-profit organization aims to promote awareness about breast cancer and resell pre-owned wedding dresses donated to them.
The funds help breast cancer causes by providing early detection education. They also support research efforts with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Georgia Breast Cancer Coalition Fund.
As for the wedding dress you can donate, ensure it’s less than three years old. They prioritize ballgowns, trumpets, fit, and flares, and you can donate $50 if you can’t clean the gown.
How To Donate A Wedding Dress
Organizations and charities differ in their requirements for wedding dress donations. For example, some prefer a particular style or brand of bridal gowns.
Some places only accept wedding dresses that are three years or younger. Furthermore, check if you must clean the dress before donating, as some might take your dress but would appreciate a donation they can use for the cleaning costs.
And finally, be considerate of other brides. For example, do not donate wedding dresses that are no longer in good condition, those with damage, stains, or can’t be worn.
If you don’t know what else to do with your old dress, here’s what to do with old wedding gowns.
Where To Donate Vintage Wedding Dress
Most donated wedding gowns are five years or younger as most organizations request this regarding wedding dress donations. Some have even a lower age for the dress, three years or younger.
So, where can you make a wedding dress donation if your dress is five years or older or even considered vintage? For one, Brides Against Breast Cancer sometimes accept vintage wedding gowns.
According to them, it’s best to call the organization before sending. However, it should be an “incredible vintage gown,” so check with them if your dress donation is still preferred.
Ask The Salvation Army or Value Village if they’ll accept vintage wedding dresses. Be considerate if some organizations only want wedding dresses that are five years or newer, as this saves time in ensuring that the donations are still usable and won’t cost them to repair.
Where Can I Donate My Wedding Dress For The Military
You can donate to Brides Across America or United Service Organizations if you want to give your wedding dress to the military. Brides Across America is a non-profit that gives wedding gowns to military responders.
Expect events near Independence Day or Veteran’s Day where BAA gives wedding dresses to the military at registered bridal salons. Your local United Sevice Organization may also accept your wedding dress donation since some organizations sometimes have giveaway events for the military.
What Can I Do With My 30-Year-Old Wedding Dress?
Most wedding dress donations are limited to relatively new dresses. Usually, organizations will only accept wedding gowns that are five years old or younger.
What if you own an older dress? You can call beforehand to ask if they would accept a vintage dress, especially if you’re confident with its condition.
Be considerate if it’s no longer in good shape as it will cost the organizations more to store, repair, or restore the old dress. However, you can consider framing the dress if it has sentimental value.
If it still has good parts, you can incorporate them and create a new wedding dress. This can then be passed down as an heirloom.
Conclusion
Was this list helpful? To recap where can i donate my wedding dress locally, try Brides for a Cause, Adorned in Grace, and Brides Against Breast Cancer.
However, most organizations only accept wedding dresses that are five years old and younger. For vintage dresses, check the charity to see if they would take your donation.