Selling the Sentiment

I kept mine for about 25 years but then it became yellow and the daughter said that she would never wear it. I honesty cannot remember what happened to it. Probably lost it in one of my many moves. I did not have an expensive wedding and had made the dress myself. I was very upset when many of the children's baby pictures were lost in a hurricane when the house got flooded. I found that devastating

I use to be attached to a great many things in life, but learned this year that things are simply things to me. I had no choice but to be rid of a great deal of my things and i was so sick to the point that I was almost hospitalized. So with the help of my boyfriend he has helped me understand that things in life are simply things and that I should be grateful that I am still breathing. Although I have learned this and it did take a beating to understand this, I certainly understand your feelings with memories.

When I had my emotional catharsis middle of this year, there were a lot of things I let go of that reminded me of my ex-boyfriend. I guess when we let go of things that are very sentimental, its either we don't want to hold on to the painful memories. Or we want other people to have as much fun with what we are parting with. Like your sister, I also lost a lot of weight and have put aside all the clothes that no longer fit me. I am sure that whoever it is that will buy her dress will be happy because if she was big, I know big people have a lot of trouble finding clothes that will fit them.

A wedding dress is only worn once so it is a terribly impractical purchase. The memories are in a person's mind and shouldn't revolve around a dress. It's hardly the most important thing of the day. Or do vows mean nothing? Most people have photos to remind them of the special day. When I've seen wedding dresses for sale they have all been for tiny girls so your sister should get a great price for one of a larger size.

I don't see the problem with her selling it. If nothing else, she and her husband can renew their vows later on, and she can keep the new dress that fits her. At least if she sells it, there may be someone else that can get some use out of it. It would make more sense that just letting it hang in the closet like that. My wife still has hers after ten years, but it will still fit her.

I'm sort of a pack-rat when it comes to saving things. Everything has sentimental value to me, although my wedding dress wasn't one of them. When I moved to Oklahoma from Massachusetts, unfortunately a lot of it had to go. Gave most things to friends and other family members. I did keep some things, although not really sure what to do with it other than enjoying it myself. There aren't any neices or nephews, and not looking like there will be grandchildren either.

I got rid of mine I threw it out but my Marriage was a shambles anyway and that is why I threw it But if my Marriage would have lasted and been a loving Marriage then no I would never have got rid of it

yes I did something I regret to this day. Mymom gave me a Black Hills gold ring and necklace for Christmas when I was newly married. well we hit a patch of bad luck and needed money for bills. So I sold this 'Black Hills Gold set to our nextdoor neighbor for a third of its original cost. I had hoped to replace them later but Now I checked the cost of that set and was really taken aback at how much they are 'worth now. about six times the amount of money I believe she spent, and they were so pretty I hated t o sell them as they were given to me by my mom. Now I really wis h I had never sold them. lol

As you mentioned it would maybe easier to part with such a sentimental part of my life if my marriage had come to end. I cant definitively say yes or no because it will all depend on the level of sentiment I still feel as time elapse. I think men on a whole are less sentimental. It would be interesting to hear of a guy who would hold o no matter what.

I did not have a traditional wedding. I grabbed the nicest outfit I had and went down to the courthouse with no friends or family.. basically we eloped, lol. Our only witnesses were our children, and they were really young at the time, my oldest was about to turn 5. So I did not own a wedding dress. But if you think about it, most men just rent their tuxedos instead of buying them. I guess I'm just not that sentimental of a person. I have my wedding rings, most people have photographs from their weddings, and other little momentos like maybe their champagne glasses or something. If you have a good reason to get rid of it, like you don't have the space to store it, or you've lost so much weight since then.. why not?

I was married fourteen years ago and I still have my wedding dress in my wardrobe. It has been only lately that I’ve considered selling it because I’ve lost the sentimental attachment to it; I took a good look at it and decided that my daughter will more than likely want to choose her own dress. It’s great that your sister has lost so much weight. Usually we tend to get too big for our wedding dresses not the other way around!

I can see why she would want to sell it, and I can see why some people wouldn't want to. Sentimental things are supposed to bring back happy memories and with something like this it's a cross between a very joyous occasion (her wedding) and something I'm sure she'd just as soon forget (being so heavy). So in this case she's decided that the unhappy memory the dress brings back comes before the happy one of the wedding. I think that's perfectly fine and I think I would be much the same way. I don't really get attached to things like that and I definitely wouldn't want to be reminded that I looked like that on my wedding day either. And congrats to your sister for losing all that weight! Wow!

Never, but it sounds like your sister does view that wedding dress the same as she would if she was divorced from her husband. It's something that reminds her of a part of her she is not proud of. Sure are probably pictures of her hanging around as a reminder, but there is something different about an article of clothing. I know I have a weight problem myself and it always seems that bigger clothes make me a bigger person. If I wear clothes that fit tighter for some reason I don't gain as much as I do if I constantly wear oversized tees and sweatpants. I don't know if maybe the bigger wedding dress might be a part of that for her. I don't know. But I don't really see much point in keeping the wedding dress as is anyhow. If I ever get married I want to have my wedding dress made into a keepsake blanket or something like that. That way I can use it for the marriage and not have to stow it away in a trunk somewhere.

I think that it is great that she has lost so much weight, well done her. I think even if she had a daughter then the experiences that she has been through will make her more aware of things so that she makes sure that her daughter would never put so much weight on. With some people, like your sister they could lose so much weight and not need it, but in a way it is good to keep it for 2 reasons. 1. It was the most important day of her life and such a special dress has a special meaning. ", to keep what i guess is a beautiful dress, although a big dress it is a great reminder of what size she was and how well she has done to get to the size she is now, so that is a benefit. Although, if you needed the cash then you could sell it, if she didn't want to be reminded of how big she was then she could sell it. It may get tailored but she may never have a daughter, or her daugher may want someting different, if i was her i would not think of the What if i have a daughter. I would answer what to do with the dress based on the other factors i have mentioned in here. Hope she makes the right choice, not an easy one, especially if she sells it and later regrets it.

There are very few things that mean that much to me.....things I have saved and wouldn't sell...my kid's baptizm outfits....I saved one little outfit of each of theirs and I also have my grandmother's wedding dress...none would ever be for sale...but dishes etc....I can part with.

Yes she can have it tailored to fit her daughter. I was smaller than my mom and was going to have hers altered, but decided against it. So my sister got her dress and I am glad too, because with all we have been through, it would be ruined by now..

I would agree with hanging onto it for sentimental reasons as well as it could be altered or incorporated into her daughters dress. No one wants to be fat, nonetheless on their wedding day I know I sure as heck didn't want to be. I still don't like it but I NEED the gym environment & I cannot afford a gym membership & then slap on day care for up to 3 kids x 7 days a week x 52 weeks... Either way CONGRATS to your sister!

i would if it was from one of my previous marriages. but not the last one. i would not sell that dress. unfortunately, it got ruined in florida so i had to toss it. I was keeping it because of sentimental reasons as this was the only great marriage i had. i would have passed it on to my grand daughter if it fit when she would be married just for good luck

Divorced or not, I donated my dress to Good Will. Wedding dresses are hard to sell as the design of dresses change so much. Materialistic things I can part with, maybe because I am not materialistic. Now when it comes to pictures or newspaper clippings of family that is different and hold those close to my heart. Now before I donated my dress I did hold on to it for quite some time. I did not have a daughter and thought my neice may want it, but like I said, when a girl gets married she has her own idea of what her wedding dress will look like, so I was not hurt when she did not want mine, it was my style and my feel for that special day. I would not wear it again, but with my donation it did make me feel just as special as my wedding day.

I still keep mine even though it was just simple wedding..I can't give it to my son because he won't wear wedding dress or maybe his future wife would want new one.! Only those wedding dress and shoes I will keep with our albums as it would be nice to look back when we get old and sit on a rocking chair, remembering the past!