Smart Alterations

Make sure your dress is a tight fit―especially if it's silk, a material that will stretch as you wear it. No bride wants to tug at her bodice all night long.

Gown Giveaway

Donate your gown to New York's Bridal Garden, which sells once-worn wedding dresses and samples. Proceeds benefit disadvantaged kids.

Gowns on the Go

Avoid wrinkling your wedding dress during a flight by asking an attendant to hang it up in first class for the duration of your trip. If you're driving, lay it flat across the backseat.

Heirloom Dress

If you'd love to honor your mother by wearing her wedding dress but it doesn't fit or it's been damaged over the years, have a replica made.

Label It

Take custom-made bridesmaid dresses up a notch with Al Ribaya of Custom Originals, who embroiders each maid's name on a cute label stitched to her garment (415-693-9900).

Perfectly Preserved

Send your wedding dress to a cleaner that specializes in dress preservation right after your wedding day. The longer you wait, the less likely stains will come out.

Savvy Shopper

Save money by shopping sample sales, where stores deeply discount last season's wedding dresses to make room for new styles.

Winning Ensembles

Overwhelmed by the prospect of wedding-dress shopping? Hire a personal stylist, who can also pick out the perfect ensembles for your shower and rehearsal dinner.

Belted Beauty

Give an all-white wedding dress a splash of color by tying a bright sash around your waist.

Designer Divas

Be the coolest shopper on the block with The Stylish Bride, which chauffeurs out-of-towners to Manhattan's hottest wedding-dress salons (thestylishbride.com).

Something Blue

Monogram your name, your fiancé's name, and your wedding date on a blue satin ribbon that you'll sew to the inside of your wedding dress.

Belle of the Ball

Wear two dresses on your wedding day: Choose a ball gown for your ceremony and a sleek minidress for dancing at your reception.

Precious Relics

Give your wedding dress a second life by using the material to create a christening gown for your first baby, a quilt or decorative pillow for your new home, or a formal table runner.

Custom Design

Can't find a dressmaker? Call the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers for recommendations. Conduct interviews until you find one that can pull off your desired gown.

Red-Wine Remover

Use a solution of one part water and one part hydrogen peroxide to remove red-wine stains from your wedding dress. Apply the mixture with a cotton swab, then rinse with a small amount of fresh water.