What DOES one do with old wedding photos from a failed marriage. Or the cake topper or etched champagne flutes or anything else that's personalized?
I have been married twice (don't judge :) and I am trying to get rid of bad ju ju in the house (I'm really just cleaning out my attic) and came across all this stuff that's just collecting dust.
Suggestions?
So my first thought was burn them in effigy in my backyard (which is what I did with everything else from the last marriage EXCEPT the wedding photos and paraphernalia). The rest....well I was simply at a loss. And I really LOVED my wedding dress so I DID keep a couple of photos of me in the dress, me and my kids and family that have long past (it was one of the last times I saw my grandpa well and dancing). As for the rest, shred. And Goodwill is gonna get allot of stuff today. THANKS YA'LL!!! I really appreciate the advice.
Why did I keep pics of the dress? You couldn't put another piece of me in that dress and it's one of the few times my "girls" looked that good in something white (winknudge).
*I put photos of me and the kids dad in their "baby" stuff I've put back for them when they have children of their own. My mother got rid of MOST of the photos of my dad right after he died because the man she married asked her to get rid of them as a sign of loyalty. Its hard to get rid of things sometimes. Keeping them tho seems like a slight to my relationship now.
I had a party one night where I lit a bonfire, got drunk with friends and threw the pics in...it was great to get rid of it all!
Do you have children or other family members who might want them? Especially the photos would be treasured momentos. Anything non-personalized can be sold on eBay or Craigslist or donated to Salvation Army or Goodwill. Otherwise, just throw them away.
My ex brother in law cut up EVERY photo, every thing with my sisters face or name on it.. Now the only photos of their wedding are the very few we family members still have.
Their kids were devastated. I wish he had kept them long enough for the kids to decide which ones they wanted to keep.
I have most of the photos from my mom and dads marriage. Even though they divorced in the early 1970's
As for photos, I would keep them and give them to your children when they are older. You may not cherish them, but your family might.
If you have children from the first marriage then the photo's of the wedding and the two of you together should go to them. if not then photos of you yourself that you don't want then pitch. photos of other relatives I would put in an envelope and say hey was goign through photos thought your family might want these (I do this regularly to get rid of old photos that I can't throw away lol) the other stuff I would stick in the nearest goodwill box.
If you have children from the relationship you keep the photos and valuables (ring, if you still have it the dress) and donate the rest.
I always thought it was kinda sad that my mom got rid of EVERYTHING from her marriage to my dad. My dad died before DD was born and she never got to meet him... would have been nice to have some pictures from their happier days to show her...
Good luck!
gosh I would have a hard time with that ,but if you are ready to let go and make a new start I would have some sort of a celebration/ burning/pitching it the trash complete with fancy drinks and someone that really loved me by my side.
I gave my wedding pictures and stuff to our daughter. They are one of the things she has carried with her and not lost through all her many times of being homeless and broken. They mean a lot to her so I would just say that your kids might find them irreplaceable.
Save the best of the wedding photos. Some child or descendant might be thankful to have them down the road. You can put them in a covered box and tuck them away so you won't have to think about them.
The other things you could give to a charitable thrift store. Somebody might like the cake topper and have no bad memories attached to it.
I see all the below answers were great and that you posted. One suggestion I did not see was Facebook, sell the gown.
See if the kids want it. Otherwise, put it in a box up in the attic.
