Before you donate your wedding dress

BEFORE YOU DONATE YOUR WEDDING DRESS

2021 UPDATE:
Thanks to the generous donations of many during our last donation cycle, we will not be accepting any more dress donations until further notice.

Before you donate, please make sure you have read our dress donation guidelines as outlined below.
If you have a question that is not answered below, please contact us or call us at (470) 278-1956.

What kinds of wedding dresses do you accept?

We accept all wedding dresses that are white or ivory, clean, in good condition, and have no yellowing. Dresses that are primarily made of chiffon will not be accepted as satin or polyester is needed to make infant burial gowns. We do not accept accessories such as veils, hats, or gloves.

Do you accept other types of formal gowns?

No. We do not accept bridesmaid, flower girl, or any other type of formal gowns or formal wear.

I’m interested in collecting wedding dresses or holding a wedding dress drive for Rachel’s Gift. Is this possible?

Due to the overwhelming interest in our program, and limited storage space at the Rachel’s Gift office, we ask that you please contact us before you hold a wedding dress donation drive or collection for Rachel’s Gift.

My wedding dress is still in its preservation box. Should I remove it before donation?

Yes! Whether dropping off or mailing to us, we request that you remove your dress from its preservation box before donation. Please also remove any stuffing, tissue paper, or paperboard. This will also help you save on mailing fees!

My wedding dress is still in its garment bag. Should I remove it before donation?

Yes! Whether dropping off or mailing to us, we request that you remove your dress from its garment bag before donation. If you feel the need to bag it up for donation, please use a kitchen trash bag.

Does my wedding dress need to be cleaned first?

If your dress has an odor or stain, please have it cleaned before donation. If your dress has yellowed with age or is heavily stained it will not be usable. All wedding dress donations must be from smoke-free homes.

I would like a piece of my wedding dress as a keepsake. What should I do?

Please remove any piece you would like as a keepsake before donating your dress to Rachel’s Gift.

Is my wedding dress donation to Rachel’s Gift considered a charitable donation?

Rachel’s Gift, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit organization with the IRS, and donations made to us are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please consult a tax advisor for questions regarding the value of your donation. If you mail your dress to Rachel’s Gift, we will send you a tax acknowledgement receipt once your gown has been processed - make sure you include your email address on the donation form. Receipts are available at our drop off locations. Please be sure to request a receipt at the time of donation.

I live in Georgia. Do you have any drop off locations in my area?

During our July and November 2019 cycles, we will accept drop off donations at our office:

Rachel's Gift
76 Sloan Street
McDonough, GA 30253
Tuesday-Friday, 8:00am-3:00pm EST

How do I package my dress for MAILing?

We request and recommend that you package and mail your wedding dress in the smallest box possible. Do not mail your dress in its preservation box - this is very costly and takes up too much space at our mailbox. Remove your dress from a large box, remove any tissue paper or stuffing, and neatly fold your dress into as small a shipping box as possible. This also allows us to process your donation faster.

What address do I MAIL my dress to?

During our July and November 2019 donation cycles, mail your dress to the address below; post marks must be between July 1-31, 2019 or November 1-30, 2019. Keep in mind this is not an office, but a postal mail box, so DO NOT ship your dress in a preservation box.

Rachel's Gift
922 Highway 81 East, PMB 153
McDonough, GA 30252

How will I know when you have received my DRESS?

Due to the high volume of dresses we receive during a donation cycle, we cannot confirm each receipt individually. If you need confirmation of delivery, please consider tracking your shipment. If you follow our packaging guidelines above, a tax acknowledgement receipt will be sent to you quickly.

How long will it take for my DRESS to be TRANSFORMED into INFANT burial gowns?

It can take several months before a donated wedding dress reaches one of our volunteer seamstresses. This is primarily due to the high volume of donated dresses we receive in a donation cycle compared to the number of active seamstresses. We are always accepting more volunteer seamstresses. If you know anyone who might me interested in volunteering their time and talent, please tell them about Rachel's Gift!

Are you willing to take pictures of the burial gOWNs that are made from my dress?

Transforming your dress into burial gowns is not always as simple as you may think. Often, our volunteer seamstresses use more than one dress for each gown they make. We cannot guarantee you photographs of completed burial gowns, but our volunteer seamstresses may fulfill a request for photos only if a legible note with your name and email address is attached to your dress.

Can I request which hospital receives burial gOWNs made from my dress?

No. We cannot guarantee that burial gowns made from your dress will be given to a specific hospital. We provide our burial gowns as needed to any hospital or directly to a bereaved family as needed upon request.

Does Rachel’s Gift charge hospitals or bereaved families for burial gowns?

No. All of our burial gowns are provided to hospitals and bereaved families who request them at no cost.

I have already donated my wedding dress to Rachel’s Gift, but I have changed my mind and would now like my dress returned to me. What should I do?

We are unable to return any donated wedding dresses. Your dress is prepped and deconstructed for use immediately upon receipt. We appreciate that the decision to donate your dress is not any easy one. If you are at all uncertain about donating your dress, we encourage you to not donate at this time. Allow yourself time to thoughtfully reconsider and wait until our next donation cycle.

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