CEDAR FALLS -- Fall is fast approaching and that means the busy wedding season is coming to a close. It also means summer bridesmaids are stuck with dresses they don't know what to do with.

The bridesmaid dress is synonymous with horrid frills and shockingly bad colors. While bridesmaid dresses have come a long way, a bridesmaid often still finds herself post-wedding with a dress that doesn't suit her personal taste or is too fancy to wear again.

Of course, the most altruistic gesture would be for the bridesmaid to donate her frock to charity. But sometimes it's hard to let go of something you paid so much for. Local seamstresses and bridal shop owners have some tips for recycling a bridesmaid dress.

"You could make dance clothes or a child's costume out of the material," said Jane Swallow, owner of Jane's Alterations in Waverly. "I have heard of people taking old bridesmaid dresses or wedding dresses and making the ring bearer's pillow or the flower girl's dress with it."

Sandy Moran, owner of Now and Forever Bridal in Waterloo, thinks altering a bridesmaid dress into something wearable after the wedding is a great idea. She doesn't understand why more women don't take advantage of it.

"It's funny to me that they don't do it because you could have a whole new cutesy use for the dress very easily," Moran said. "A lot of these dresses would be so cute if they just shortened them, but no one does it."

Moran said the average cost of a bridesmaid dress is $130 to $200. An alteration to shorten the hem, attach straps or adjust a sash is around $30.

"Thirty more dollars for a whole new use or another use," Moran said. "I think there are two reasons why girls won't get their dress altered: Hardly anyone ever dresses up anymore, and they don't want to spend the money. They are not sure what it is going to look like so they are afraid to do it."

A quick search of the Internet brings up a whole host of Web sites listing ideas for reusing or recycling old bridesmaid dresses. Making a lamp shade, covering a wedding album or making a shawl are a few of the relatively easy ideas that come complete with instructions.

An option for bridesmaids who aren't so creatively-inclined is to get a dress that could double as less-formal evening wear without any work. That trend is becoming more common, but it is still up to the bride as to what she wants her attendants to wear.

"Lots of brides pick out the color they want and let the bridesmaid pick out a dress style that flatters their body," said Beki Biesterfelt, owner of Beki's Custom Sewing and Alterations in Waterloo. "That's a trend that's good and is continuing."

Biesterfelt also said she hasn't had much call for bridesmaid dress alterations, but thinks they would be easy to do.

"The days of using them for prom dresses are gone, most people don't do that anymore," she said. "It's two different worlds now, so they should find other uses for the dress if they want to get their money's worth."

Contact Samantha Donisi at

newsroom@wcfcourier.com.