How to sell a wedding dress second-hand: cleaning, photos and price

Sell sooner rather than later

Styles of wedding dress change over the years, and a dress that has been stored for a long time can yellow at the folds or pick up marks. If you know you will not keep it, listing it in the first year or two usually works best.

Clean it first

Most wedding dresses have marks somewhere after the day: around the hem and train from the ground, at the underarms, and sometimes make-up on the neckline.

• Check the care label. Many wedding dresses are dry clean only, especially silk, satin, lace and anything beaded.
• Use a specialist cleaner who handles wedding dresses if you can. Delicate beading, lace and layers of tulle are easy to damage at home.
• Do not try strong stain removers on silk or satin yourself. They can leave a mark that is worse than the stain.
• If you cannot clean a mark, mention it and photograph it rather than hoping nobody notices.

Photograph it properly

Good photos make a wedding dress sell. Our guide to photographing clothes to sell covers the basics; for a wedding dress, add these:

1. The whole dress from the front, hung from a door frame or a sturdy hook so the skirt falls naturally.
2. The back, since buttons, lacing and low backs are often what a bride falls for.
3. The train, spread out on a clean sheet.
4. Close-ups of lace, beading, embroidery and the neckline.
5. The label, showing the size and the maker.
6. The fastenings: zip, buttons, corset lacing or hooks.
7. Any marks or wear, each in its own clear photo.

Natural daylight shows the true shade. Ivory, cream, champagne and white look very different in person and are easy to confuse in artificial light, so describe the shade in words as well.

Give real measurements

Wedding dress sizes often differ from high-street sizes, and many dresses are altered for the wedding. The label size alone tells a buyer very little.

Lay the dress flat and measure in cm:

• Bust, pit to pit, across the front
• Waist, across the narrowest point, then double it
• Hip, across the widest point, then double it
• Length, from the highest point of the shoulder or the top of the bodice to the hem at the front

If the dress has a corset back, give the measurements with it laced as it would be worn. Our guide on how to measure clothes shows how to take each one.

Be clear about alterations

Say exactly what was changed: "Taken in at the bodice by about 3 cm, hem shortened by 8 cm for low heels, bustle added." A buyer needs to know whether it can be let out again, and how much hem is left. If you still have the details from your seamstress, include them.

Describe it fully

• the maker, if there is a label, and the style name if you know it
• the fabric, as the composition label says
• the shade, in plain words
• the neckline, silhouette and train length
• what is included: veil, belt, bolero, spare buttons, a garment bag or hanger
• the condition, including any marks, and whether it has been cleaned

Use the condition grade honestly. Worn once for the day is not "new without tags". Our guide to describing flaws honestly helps you word any marks clearly.

Price it realistically

Second-hand wedding dresses usually sell for well below what they cost new. The things that help a dress hold its value are a recognised maker, a recent style, clean condition, few alterations and the extras that came with it. Look at similar dresses in similar condition, and decide the lowest you would accept before buyers start making offers. Our guide on how to price second-hand clothes explains the method.

On Rewear there is no selling fee, so the price you agree is the price you are paid. Buyers pay postage and a buyer protection fee of 30p + 3%.

Listing and posting

On Rewear, list a wedding dress under Women, then Dresses, and choose the style, such as Maxi, if one fits. A full wedding dress is usually the extra large parcel size, which takes up to 8 kg, so weigh it packed before you choose.

• Fold it gently with plenty of acid-free tissue paper between the layers.
• Put it in a clean plastic bag or garment bag first, then a strong box or large mailer.
• Post within five days of the sale using the prepaid label from the app.

Our guide to posting clothes cheaply has more on parcel sizes.

The short version

Clean it, ideally with a specialist. Photograph the whole dress, the back, the train and every detail in daylight. Give the bust, waist, hip and length in cm, explain any alterations, mention any marks and include the extras. Price it realistically and pack it in tissue.