George Boyle
Donating your wedding dress is a great way to give back to the community. There are several charities and organisations that accept wedding dress donations, such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Brides Across America. These organisations often sell the donated dresses at discounted prices or give them away for free to military and first responder brides. Some charities have specific criteria for accepting donations, such as the dress being less than five years old and in good condition. It is also possible to donate wedding dresses to local thrift stores or bridal shops, or even post them for free on online platforms. Donating your wedding dress can help a bride in need and give your dress a new lease of life.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Donation centers | Goodwill, Salvation Army, Brides Across America, Brides for a Cause, The Emma and Evan Foundation, Adorned in Grace Bridal and Formalwear |
| Who they cater to | Military and first responder brides, brides in need, families who have lost babies, local charities and non-profit organizations with a focus on helping women |
| Requirements | Wedding dresses should be less than 3-5 years old, in good condition, and recently cleaned |
| Other accepted items | Veils, tiaras, wedding favors, engagement rings, special occasion gowns, monetary donations |
| Pick-up services | Some Goodwill and Salvation Army locations offer pick-up services |
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What You'll Learn
Donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army
If you're looking to donate your wedding dress to Goodwill, you're in luck! Goodwill accepts almost any clothing item, including wedding dresses. They also accept other wedding items like decorations, centrepieces, photo booth props, aisle decor, leftover favours, tablecloths, cake stands, candlesticks, and champagne flutes. You can either drop off your donations at your nearest Goodwill donation site or retail store, or you can contact your local Goodwill to see if they offer pick-up services.
Goodwill stores also hold yearly bridal events where hundreds of donated dresses, tuxes, and wedding accessories are showcased. Donated items are sold at a discount, and the proceeds are used to fund Goodwill's charitable programs.
Like Goodwill, the Salvation Army is also a well-known charitable organisation in the US that accepts wedding dress donations. They sell these dresses in their thrift stores across the country, and the proceeds are used to fund their charitable programs. Each Salvation Army location has different donation policies, so be sure to contact your local branch to see if they offer pick-up services or if you can schedule a pick-up on their website.
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Donate to Brides Across America
Brides Across America is a non-profit charitable organization that gifts free wedding gowns and weddings to military personnel and first responders, including firefighters, EMTs, police officers, and paramedics, and front-line healthcare workers. They have hosted over 750 gown giveaway events and gifted over 28,000 wedding gowns and 25 weddings.
To donate your wedding dress to Brides Across America, your gown must be less than three years old and in good condition. They accept all brands of wedding gowns, though they prefer trumpet, A-line, and ballgown styles. They also accept veils, tiaras, and accessories, but no undergarments or petticoats. If your gown meets the age requirement but is soiled, Brides Across America will clean it for you for a $175 tax-deductible donation.
If your gown is accepted, you will be provided with instructions on how to package and ship your gown, as well as the shipping address. Upon acceptance, you will receive a tax-deductible donation receipt. Brides Across America also accepts financial donations.
Your donated wedding dress will help a deserving bride and continue the mission of honoring heroes through gifting weddings and wedding gowns as a meaningful way to express gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
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Donate to Brides for a Cause
Brides for a Cause is a non-profit organisation that collects and resells wedding dresses to raise funds for charity. The proceeds from the sales are donated to various local and national women-focused charities. They accept wedding dresses and bridal accessories, such as veils, tiaras, wedding favours, engagement rings, and special occasion gowns. They also accept bulk donations from designers, manufacturers, and bridal stores.
Since 2012, Brides for a Cause has collected over 40,000 wedding dresses and donated more than $3,000,000 to charities across the country. They have multiple locations where you can mail or drop off your dress. Currently, they are encouraging shipped dresses to be sent to their Sacramento store. They accept dresses year-round from brides all over the US and beyond, during store hours.
There is an optional monetary donation of $40-$100 to help resell your dress, but it is not required. You can make a monetary donation of any amount online or by mailing a cheque. Brides for a Cause can also help pay for the shipping for bulk donations.
To donate to Brides for a Cause, your wedding dress must be no more than 5 years old. They prefer trumpet, A-line, and ballgown-style dresses, and they must be in excellent condition and recently cleaned. If your dress needs cleaning, you can add a $50 donation and they will clean it for you.
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Donate to Adorned in Grace
Adorned in Grace is a 501(c)3 non-profit organisation that accepts wedding dress donations. They have bridal shops in Portland and Arizona, where donations are accepted during business hours. The organisation prefers trumpet, A-line, and ballgown-style dresses that are less than three years old and in excellent condition.
If you are considering donating your dress, it is a good idea to get it cleaned as soon as possible after your wedding. Many dry cleaners offer discounts for dresses being donated, and dresses made of polyester can be turned inside out and washed in a front-load washer. If you are unable to clean your dress, you can include a monetary donation to cover the costs of preparing your dress for the shop.
Adorned in Grace will issue a receipt for monetary or product donations. The receipt for donated goods will not show the value of the goods, and you can determine that value using IRS guidelines. If you are donating a gown on someone else's behalf, let the volunteer staff know the name and email address of the donor.
In addition to wedding gowns, Adorned in Grace also accepts in-kind donations such as retail supplies and other items.
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Transform into infant burial gowns
Wedding dresses can be transformed into infant burial gowns, also known as Angel Gowns, and donated to hospitals, birthing centres, funeral homes, and grieving families. This initiative is undertaken by various organisations, such as NICU Helping Hands, Little Angel Gowns Charity, and Forever Angels of Virginia, to provide comfort to families who have lost a baby.
NICU Helping Hands' Angel Gown® Program was established in 2013 to address the need for improved support for bereaved families. They accept donations of wedding gowns, which are transformed into custom-made Angel Gowns for final photos and burial services. The organisation ships these gowns worldwide to hospitals and families in need, with the support of donors and volunteers.
Little Angel Gowns Charity also creates burial gowns for infants by repurposing donated wedding dresses. Their Angel Gowns are designed in collaboration with medical and burial professionals, ensuring both beauty and practicality. The charity offers a range of styles, including gowns for girls, unisex designs, and modified tuxedos for boys, accommodating infants from under one pound to over 13 pounds. They also provide angel pods for babies too small for a gown, along with matching accessories and keepsakes.
Forever Angels of Virginia, featured in a story by WUSA9, gained prominence through generous donations from viewers. The organisation transforms wedding dresses into infant burial gowns, providing comfort to grieving parents who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature death. The story of a widower donating his wife's wedding dress, recalling the decades of joy it brought them, exemplifies the impact of these initiatives.
Transforming wedding dresses into infant burial gowns offers a meaningful way to support grieving families and honour the memory of their little ones. These gowns not only provide comfort but also symbolise the importance and dignity of each precious life.
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