Dresses

Image: IRIS Photography

Can a bride take care of her wedding dress after the big day in an environmentally responsible fashion? Yes! It is possible, but it will take some homework. Most dry cleaning companies in the United States are still using a dry cleaning process which has not changed much over the last fifty years.

Instead of buying a bridal gown, Alissa Harvey chose this lovely white bridesmaid's dress. "My dress was actually a bridesmaid dress that cost less than $250--a great tip for budget-savvy brides. Many of those bridesmaid dresses come in lots of colors including traditional ivory or white. Mine had a gorgeous sapphire sash around the waist to coordinate with my sapphire wedding and engagement rings."

Even if you are good at sewing or have a close friend that is it might be best to let a professional make your wedding dress. A friend of mine is a designer and I hired her to make my dress. It ended up being more expensive than I expected and did not fit perfectly. Needless to say it was a very tough situation. - Anonymous

The good news is that there are are a number of ways to wear a couture gown and still be green.  If you are looking for a specific designer, you can buy a once worn gown from designers like Oleg Cassini, Amalia Carrara and Vera Wang at the Wedding Dress Market and Save the Dress.  If you live in New York, try The Bridal Garden (54 W.

Donating your dress is a wonderful thing to do.  Most of the wedding dresses that are preserved and stored are never worn again.  By donating your gown to charity you can help raise money for worthy causes and guarantee your dress is worn again (a form of recycling). If you live in New York, the Bridal Garden sells used dresses to raise money for the child welfare organization Sheltering Arms.