So, you’ve just spent the most money you’ve ever spent on a single item of clothing in your entire life. But because it’s a huge, pouffy white wedding dress, it’s a fair bet you’ll never get to wear it again. 

Rather unfair, and not brilliant value for money, I think you’ll agree. If, like the average bride, and yes, like newlywed me, you’ve spent in excess of the average £1,000 on that Big Day dress it seems like an awful lot to spend just to stuff it into the loft.

Yet, by my straw poll on the subject, that’s exactly what 99 per cent of married women have done with their dress.

Surely there must be something to be done with the most important dress of your life? Here are some of the alternatives.

Turn it into a work of art
Yes, you’ve got your wedding photos to remember you and your betrothed’s big day, but what about that special relationship between you and your dress?
Stockport photographer Chris Hanley came up with just the solution when he invented the concept of Cherish The Dress.
It was initially a reaction to the American concept of “Trash The Dress” – where a bride basically destroys her dress by dashing through the sea, running across muddy moors or setting fire to the whole thing, all captured in a photo  to keep.
But Chris’ idea is the exact opposite – that a bride can go all Hollywood movie star for the day and take part in her own full, glamorous professional modelling shoot, but with your dress firmly in the spotlight.  And of course, you get all the fun of pulling the dress back on, having your make-up done by professional make-up artist Samantha Gardner and posing away at a glamorous location. 
Chris says: “Initially, we tried the trash the dress concept, but we could see brides backing away from that – after spending all that money you don’t want to completely ruin your dress.
“So, three years ago we invented the concept of Cherish The Dress, and it’s such a good business model everyone wants to do it – we even train other photographers in the concept now.
“Our strapline is making the dress the star – not the victim – of the photoshoot. And it enables the bride to have a more relaxing day a couple of months after the wedding, and get to pull on the dress all over again.”
I headed to Manchester’s Hilton Hotel for my Cherish The Dress shoot, where Chris had me posing up a storm in areas like the glamorous Cloud 23 skybar overlooking the whole of Manchester. The result is a set of beautiful art portraits to help you remember the full glory of the dress.  Prices for shoots start from £495. For info, see cherishthedress.co.uk.

Become a living doll
Of course, what I’d really love to do with my dress is have it mounted inside the biggest picture frame you’ve ever seen and hang it on my living room wall for every visitor to admire. Funnily enough, my other half is not so keen on this idea.
So what a brainwave Bramhall mum-of-two Elizabeth Anne Morrison had when she came up with Dollicious brides (dolliciousbrides.co.uk), in which she creates a stunning little doll crafted entirely in your wedding day image. You can give Elizabeth a sample of your real wedding dress, or she can work with her own materials to create a mini-me image of you.
The doll, priced from £149.99, acts as a permanent reminder of your wedding dress on display. Elizabeth came up with the idea after her daughter, Lucy, married in December 2008.
She says: “While Lucy was on honeymoon, I decided to make a doll for her as a surprise.
“Thirty six years ago, when I got married, I had a doll made for me, and I still keep it on my dressing table, but I’ve never heard of the idea since then.  When Lucy got back from honeymoon she was absolutely amazed at the doll, and, really, that’s what made me think of doing it as a business because so many people commented on it.”
Elizabeth creates your bridal look to the finest detail – down to jewellery and even your hair-do. She says: “It’s such a great reminder and something to be able to show your children and grandchildren.”

Do a good deed for charity
There’s a whole raft of charities out there who would benefit from the donation of your wedding dress – including local organisations like St Ann’s Hospice who have a dedicated wedding dress shop in Cheadle for bridal cast-offs.
Or if you fancy your dress heading a little further afield, there’s the Muslim charity Blessed Brides (blessedbrides.co.uk), with a base in Bolton, which collects wedding outfits to make the dreams come true of poverty-stricken couples in South Asia.
If you still can’t bear to part with your dress, how about raising funds for charity by wearing it to the office? The inaugural Brides At Work Day, organised in aid of the Breakthrough breast cancer charity – which encouraged women to get sponsored by workmates and then wear their dress for a full day’s work – took place on Friday, and there are plans for more.  To sign up, see breakthrough.org.uk.
Perhaps slightly less embarrassing than lacing yourself up to head to work would be to head to, or even organise, your own bridal charity ball with a host of fellow wedded women desperate to pull on their gowns again. I’m miffed I’ve just missed one, held in aid of Cancer Research last month, with over 300 ex-brides getting back into their corsetry for the occasion.

When charity begins at home
Yes, the prospect of selling on your dress and recouping some of that wallet-wounding wedding expense.  But a quick look at an auction website is enough to warn you of the percentage loss you are likely to make
on selling your gown second hand.
As well as a raft of internet sites like sellmydress.com, businesses are also springing up where you can try to sell your dress at a wedding fair – including new firm somethingoldsomethingnew.me.uk, which is launching at an annual wedding event at Minshull’s garden centre in Crewe, Cheshire, next month, and will give prospective brides the chance to try on your gown before they decide whether to buy off you.
As for the future of my gown?  Well, it’s currently at the dry cleaners but I can’t face simply boxing up the beauty for good. 
Instead, I’m planning to dye it purple, trim off some of that train (to create my own little doll of course) and wear it as a ballgown when the next fabulously over-the-top event arises!

» Have you done something unusual with your wedding dress? Have your say below...

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