A white dress

I've been trying to decide what I should do with my wedding dress, which is hanging up in the study still un-dry-cleaned. I know I should have had it cleaned before now, but I've been trying to decide whether to fork out the money to have it put in a box with a window to protect it, or have it dyed and slightly altered (which would mostly consist of having the skirt deflated) into an evening dress that I can wear again.

While first I was hovering around keeping it as is, because it is such a lovely dress, I've now shuffled over to having it altered. If I keep it as is, I'll never wear it again - I can't think of an occasion where I would. And I'm not hoping to pass it on to my imaginary future daughter. So the only reasonable alternative is to have it made into an evening dress I can wear to other people's (very formal) weddings and other ball-like occasions.

It was suggested to me that I could have it shortened and not dyed, as that might be rather expensive, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone in a white evening dress. And it's certainly not a colour that would survive long with me wearing it. I have owned one white t-shirt for about three months, and it's already stained. I cannot keep food/ink/random stuff off my clothes. No, it would have to be dyed.

I wonder if the beading would be dyed also, or whether it would stay white against the newly coloured fabric. If that were the case, I couldn't have it dyed red - the white beading would look ridiculous. Perhaps a blue, or a purple. Even if having it dyed is expensive - it's an expensive dress anyway, and I'd rather it cost a little more and be a wearable expensive dress than an expensive dress that I take out and look at occasionally.