What About Wedding Dresses?

This is part of Stewie's Guide to Ruthlessly Declutter Your Clothes Today.

This advice goes against what some decluttering gurus preach, but if you’re unsure about what to do with your wedding dress, just keep it.

Seriously.

I’ve been married for two decades, and my wife still has hers. It’s tucked away in a sealed bag in a basement closet, and honestly? That’s perfectly fine.

No guilt. No pressure to “do something” with it. Just a sentimental item, quietly stored, bringing no harm or stress to anyone.

The Many Ways to Repurpose a Wedding Dress

In theory, there are plenty of creative ways to re-purpose a wedding dress:

These ideas are beautiful, meaningful, and resourceful.

But they also require time, energy, and effort.

And if your life is already busy and demanding—like mine is—then you probably don’t have the capacity for another project, no matter how well-intentioned.

Don’t Turn Your Dress Into a To-Do List

The last thing you need is another obligation hanging over your head.

Don’t let your wedding dress become one more thing you “should” do. Don’t hold onto it with the expectation that you’ll transform it into something else someday, only to feel bad later when it never happens.

Because here’s the thing: it’s okay to just keep it.

Not everything has to serve a practical purpose. Not everything needs to be repurposed, recycled, or given away.

If your wedding dress brings you joy, let it stay.

And if, years from now, you find yourself ready to let it go? Then you’ll know. You’ll make that decision when the time is right.

Until then, give yourself permission to not have to decide right now.

Because sometimes, keeping something is the simplest and best choice of all.

Next steps…