You’ve devoured the cake, posed for pictures, shed a few happy tears, and sealed it with a kiss; you’re officially married, but now what do you do with all the wedding stuff?

This was a question that I asked myself after I said “I do.” With only 500 square feet of living space, my husband and I wanted to get rid of our wedding items as quickly as possible, but also wanted to try and recover some of our wedding costs. In addition to this, I also wanted to have a memento or two from our wedding that we could actually use and enjoy.

As a DIY bride, you can achieve all of these things; you just need to know where to look, what to sell, and when it’s time to start a new project or two.

Photography: Katie Harmsworth // Styling: Lenzo // Florals: Raven and the Rose // Props and Decor: The Small Things Co. // Sign: Foamtastic Party Decor // Furniture: Pepper Sprout Hire // Found On: Ruffled.

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR WEDDING ITEMS AFTER THE WEDDING

Sell It Online – If you’re looking to make a little cash (perhaps to go towards your honeymoon?), there are plenty of platforms you can use to sell your gently used wedding items. I’ve had the best luck with facebook bridal swap groups (search for terms like “wedding swap,” “buy and sell wedding,” “wedding marketplace,” or “brides to be” on facebook), but there are plenty of other options like online marketplaces, forums, and virtual bridal communities.

Start here: Craiglist, Kijiji, WeddingBee, Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Tradesy.

Photography: Dawn Charles // Event Design & Flowers: Seven Stems Design and Events // Found On: 100 Layer Cake.

Wedding Dress Resale Sites – What you do with your wedding dress is a very personal choice. If you decide to sell it, consider selling it online as opposed to selling it at a consignment store. Stores will take up to 60% of the sale price, whereas most online marketplaces range from free to a flat fee.

Start here: Still White, Preowned Wedding Dresses, Once Wed.

Photography: Dawn Charles // Event Design & Flowers: Seven Stems Design and Events // Found On: 100 Layer Cake.

Photography: Katie Harmsworth // Styling: Lenzo // Florals: Raven and the Rose // Props and Decor: The Small Things Co. // Sign: Foamtastic Party Decor // Furniture: Pepper Sprout Hire // Found On: Ruffled.

DIY Projects – If you’re a DIY bride, it’s likely that you got crafty for your wedding. Many brides are happy to purchase DIY projects at prices that cover the cost of making the item and sometimes even a little more. For our wedding, we made 300 handmade tassels (check out some of the photos here). By the end, we never wanted to see another tassel again, so we sold them to a bride that happily purchased them and was grateful that she never had to pick up a pair of scissors in the process.

Photography: Muravnik Photography // Event Concept and Planning: Atmosphere Wed // Flowers: Tatiana Bugaeva // Wedding Dress: Whitechicks // Suit: Zara // Found On: Ruffled.

Upcycle It – Many brides experience “bridal blues” because the wedding is over, but it doesn’t have to be! Pull out your craft supplies and upcycle some of your leftover wedding items into mementos. If you’re selling your dress, keep some of the excess fabric from alterations and make a Christmas tree ornament or a keepsake necklace. For our wedding, we commissioned a hand-painted fabric banner and are using it to create pillowcases and wall art.

Photography: Muravnik Photography // Event Concept and Planning: Atmosphere Wed // Ring Box: Bark and Berry // Found On: Ruffled.

Gift It – Give centerpieces, flowers, and even extra food away to guests as a way to show your gratitude. We had our wedding catered at a private residence, so guests were actually doing us a favor by taking all the leftovers home. If you would like a more philanthropic option, consider donating your flower arrangements to a local retirement residence where they will continue to be enjoyed. You can also donate flowers and food to a local shelter, but research this in advance as donation policies and FoodSafe requirements will limit what you can donate.

Photography: Katie Harmsworth // Styling: Lenzo // Florals: Raven and the Rose // Props and Decor: The Small Things Co. // Sign: Foamtastic Party Decor // Furniture: Pepper Sprout Hire // Found On: Ruffled.

Photography: Liesl Cheney Photography // Concept, Styling & Flowers: Willow Lane Creative // Gown: Loui Col Designs // Hair & Make Up: The Pretty Parlour // Model: Isobel // Found On: The Wedding Playbook.

Throw a Party – If you’re not ready to say goodbye to all your wedding items yet, consider throwing a party for yourself or someone else. It’s a great excuse to use your newly acquired event planning skills and who doesn’t love a party!?

Photography: Liesl Cheney Photography // Concept, Styling & Flowers: Willow Lane Creative // Furniture: Pompette Events // Gown: Loui Col Designs // Hair & Make Up: The Pretty Parlour // Model: Isobel // Found On: The Wedding Playbook.

Keep It – There’s nothing wrong with keeping a few chargers for dinner parties or candles to decorate your home. If you love something and have the space to store it, keep it. I fell in love with our mercury glass vases, but I didn’t need 16, so I kept two for us and sold the rest to a friendly bride-to-be I met online.

Photography: Liesl Cheney Photography // Concept, Styling & Flowers: Willow Lane Creative // Furniture: Pompette Events // Plates: Eucalypt Homewares // Found On: The Wedding Playbook.