By the time she was through with it, Elizabeth Stimac's wedding gown had been dragged through a junk yard, slopped through mud puddles, shredded at the knee and finally, laid to rest in a trash barrel. Not many women choose such a fate for the dress they dreamt of since childhood or spent hundreds - maybe thousands - of dollars on, but the days of saving your wedding gown for your daughter's wedding are virtually gone.

So you spent a wad of cash on it and wore it for a few hours - now what? The answer lies in what your dress represents to you. For Stimac, whose husband left her about a month after their first anniversary, the dress was a heaping pile of bad memories. So when she heard about local photographer Deanna Flora who had done 'Trash the Dress' photo shoots with other divorcees, the psychology graduate student decided to do a little self therapy.

"It felt empowering to do it," she said. "The way that everything happened, I just felt kind of abandoned, and this was one of the more formal ways to get some of that back." Stimac's choice might not fit the bill for every bride. If your goal is to at least retain some part of your wedding gown, there are plenty of options to consider:

Preserve it
If the "until death do us part" vow applied to your groom and your gown, preserving your dress is the way to go. To do this, experts say to take action immediately to prevent stains from setting in. Professional preservation will cost $15 to $500, depending on your level of service and type of dress. The process involves cleaning the dress and using special chemicals to prevent yellowing and deterioration. The dress is then placed in an acid-free container for safe keeping. Some dry cleaners offer these services in-house, or you can purchase a kit to send the dress to a professional company. Visit www.gownpreservation.com for local dealers.
Repurpose it
If you want to turn your dress into a useful reminder of your day, try incorporating it into meaningful decor. The train could be used as trimming in a baby blanket, or some of the tool and beading could be used to adorn photo frame with pictures from the wedding.

Donate it
By donating your dress to Goodwill or a charitable group, you can give someone who might not be able to afford a dress the opportunity to also feel like the princess you were on your big day.

Another feel-good option is to donate your dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer. This group re-sales wedding gowns and donates the proceeds to the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation, a group that grants final wishes to women and men suffering from terminal breast cancer. For more information, visit www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org.

Reuse it
Celebrate a weight loss or special anniversary by having pictures made of you and your hubby in wedding attire at alternative venues.

Got a sense of humor? A little creative make-up and you've got a great Bridezilla, Bride of Frankenstein or a zombie bride Halloween costume.