Franklin Dean
Several charities, including Little Angel Gowns Charity, NICU Helping Hands, and The Angel Gowns Project, make angel gowns out of donated wedding dresses. These angel gowns are burial attire for infants and are donated to hospitals, funeral homes, bereavement ministers, and bereaved families. The process of making angel gowns involves deconstructing the wedding dresses, ironing or steaming them, and then laying out patterns for the angel gowns. Volunteers are often sought to help with this process, and some organizations offer the option to have the angel gowns returned to the donor for them to donate personally.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Organizations | The Angel Gowns Project, NICU Helping Hands, Angel Gowns of South Bay, Little Angel Gowns Charity, Rest in His Arms |
| Location | The Angel Gowns Project: USA and International; NICU Helping Hands: USA; Little Angel Gowns Charity: Indianapolis; Rest in His Arms: Chicago |
| Donations | Wedding gowns, bridesmaid gowns (select colours), colourful prom dresses |
| Donation Requirements | Clean, good condition, minimal staining, no strong odours |
| Costs | The Angel Gowns Project: $100 minimum donation; NICU Helping Hands: free for families |
| Shipping | Donors cover shipping costs |
| Purpose | Provide burial gowns for infants |
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What You'll Learn
Donating wedding dresses
Donating your wedding dress is a great way to free up space in your closet and help others in need. Brides Against Breast Cancer, for example, resells gently used wedding gowns to raise money for breast cancer awareness and early detection. Similarly, The Brides Project raises money for programs and services at the Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor through the resale of donated wedding dresses. Brides Across America donates dresses to military and first responder brides at Operation Wedding Gown events twice a year.
Another option is to donate your wedding dress to organisations that transform them into infant burial gowns, also called Angel Gowns. These gowns are offered to hospitals, birthing centres, funeral homes, and directly to grieving families free of charge. Organisations such as The Angel Gowns Project and NICU Helping Hands Angel Gown program accept wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses in light shades of blue, pink, and purple. The Angel Gowns Project has no age limit on wedding dresses and requests a minimum donation of $100 for its USA and International Programs. NICU Helping Hands Angel Gown Program also accepts clean wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses in good condition.
If you are not interested in donating your wedding dress to charity, you could consider giving it to your local high school's theatre department or a vintage store. You could also join Facebook groups such as Shared Dream Dresses to offer your dress to someone who would like to wear it for their wedding.
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Deconstructing wedding dresses
Firstly, wedding dresses are accepted from donors who wish to contribute to this cause. Some organizations, like NICU Helping Hands, have specific requirements for wedding dress donations. They only accept clean and good-condition wedding gowns and pale-coloured bridesmaid dresses. Stains, smoke, or strong odours on the dresses are not preferred. The Angel Gowns Project, on the other hand, does not have an age limit on wedding dresses and welcomes all dresses in good condition. They also accept colourful prom and bridesmaid dresses for their international program.
Once the wedding dresses are received, they are prepared for deconstruction. This involves removing underskirts, lining, and crinoline. The dresses are then cleaned and ready for the next steps.
After the patterns are traced, the wedding dresses are cut according to the outline of the angel gowns. Finally, the angel gowns are sewn together, often by volunteer seamstresses. The Angel Gowns Project offers the option for donors to request that their wedding dresses be sewn by their volunteer seamstresses with a donation.
The completed angel gowns are then donated to hospitals and families in need. This process provides comfort and support to grieving families during a difficult time.
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Sewing angel gowns
Once the dresses are sourced, they need to be deconstructed, ironed or steamed, and laid out for pattern-making. This step can be time-consuming and involves carefully removing embellishments, such as lace and beads, that can be reused later. The patterns for the angel gowns are then traced onto the fabric, and the fabric is cut accordingly. It is important to have large pieces of fabric to work with, and multiple dresses are often combined to create unique angel gowns.
After the fabric is cut, the sewing process begins. This step involves sewing the pieces together to create the angel gowns, adding any necessary embellishments, and ensuring a high level of quality. The gowns are then quality-checked, packaged, and shipped to hospitals, funeral homes, bereavement ministers, and individual families in need. The entire process, from donation to completion, can take several months, and the final angel gowns are clean, beautiful, and of high quality.
Some organisations, such as The Angel Gowns Project, offer the option for donors to request that their gowns be sewn by volunteer seamstresses and then returned to them for personal donation. This service may involve a waiting period and a minimum donation to support the organisation's mission. Other organisations, like NICU Helping Hands, have their own teams of volunteer seamstresses who create Angel Gown® garments according to specific patterns developed in collaboration with hospitals and funeral homes. These patterns are not available for public use.
Overall, sewing angel gowns is a detailed and labour-intensive process that requires dedication and a strong commitment to helping grieving families. The final angel gowns provide comfort and support to families during a difficult time, making the effort well worth it.
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Shipping angel gowns
The Angel Gowns Project is a non-profit organisation that ships angel gowns worldwide. The project is sustained by donations, with a minimum donation of $100 requested for those donating to the USA or International Program. The organisation accepts donations of wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses, which are then transformed into angel gowns for families who have lost an infant. The gowns are donated to hospitals, funeral homes, bereavement ministers, and individual families. The Angel Gowns Project does not specify any requirements for packing and shipping the dresses, leaving this up to the donor. However, they suggest removing the tulle from the dress before shipping to reduce costs.
NICU Helping Hands is another organisation that provides angel gowns to hospitals and bereaved families across the United States. They accept wedding gown and bridesmaid gown donations, with specific colour requirements for the latter. They do not charge bereaved families or hospitals for the angel gowns and cover the shipping costs themselves.
Rest in His Arms, based in Chicago, also creates and donates angel gowns worldwide. They host monthly Sewing Saturday workshops where volunteers can help with deconstructing wedding dresses, ironing/steaming, and laying out patterns for the angel gowns.
These organisations provide a valuable service to grieving families, offering comfort and support during a difficult time. They rely on the generosity of donors and volunteers to create and ship these angel gowns, making a lasting impact on families around the world.
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Receiving angel gowns
Another organisation involved in creating and donating angel gowns is NICU Helping Hands. Their Angel Gown Program began in 2013 to provide support and comfort to families who have lost a baby. They accept clean wedding gowns and bridesmaid gowns in specific colours, and the gowns are made into Angel Gown garments by volunteer seamstresses. These are then provided free of charge to hospitals and bereaved families across the United States. Due to the high volume of donated gowns, NICU Helping Hands does not guarantee photographs of completed Angel Gown garments to donors.
Additionally, there are local initiatives such as Angel Gowns by Rest in His Arms, based near Chicago. They also accept wedding dress donations and create angel gowns, which are donated to hospitals, funeral homes, bereavement ministers, and individual families worldwide. They host monthly Sewing Saturday workshops where volunteers can help with deconstructing, ironing, and cutting patterns for the angel gowns.
Overall, the process of receiving an angel gown typically involves donating a wedding dress or gown, which is then transformed by volunteers into an angel gown for babies who have passed away. These angel gowns are then provided to grieving families free of charge, offering comfort and support during a difficult time.
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Frequently asked questions
The Angel Gowns Project is a charitable organisation that transforms donated wedding dresses into infant burial attire. The project was founded in 2014 by a NICU nurse who wanted to provide appropriate burial garments for infants who don't survive.
The Angel Gown Program is run by NICU Helping Hands, a 501(c)3 non-profit organisation. The program collects wedding dresses and bridesmaid gowns and transforms them into Angel Gown garments, which are provided free of charge to hospitals and bereaved families.
All wedding gown donations to the Angel Gown Program must go through the online donation process for inventory control and 501(c)3 status reasons. You can find more information on their website.
Yes, the Angel Gowns Project accepts wedding dress donations through both their US and International Programs. They accept dresses in any condition, as long as they are in good condition with minimal staining and no strong odours.
Angel gowns are made by volunteer seamstresses across the United States. The Angel Gowns Project is based near Chicago and serves the Midwestern US, while Little Angel Gowns Charity is based in Indianapolis.
