How To Properly Preserve Your Wedding Dress

 

Ever wondered what happens to your wedding dress after “I do”? A wedding dress is an investment that should last for more than a few years. Whether you’re planning on storing it for your kids to look at, or wearing it during your vow renewal, or perhaps lending it to someone you care about, here are some helpful tips on what to do with it post wedding. After an evening of dancing, walking, hugging, toasting and indulging in decadent food, it’s more than likely your pristine white wedding dress will end up with a couple of stains. A garment so special that you invested a few hundred dollars on, deserves to be taken care of properly by professionals. Following is a list of things you can do to help bring your wedding dress back to its original condition and preserve it for many years to come.

 

Not your average dry-cleaning

Wedding dress preservation is not to be confused with regular dry-cleaning services. Your wedding gown is much too delicate and precious to be damaged by poor service. When looking for the right place to take this valuable piece to receive the proper care, we suggest you do some research. Not all dry cleaners know how to preserve a wedding dress, even if it’s the one your mom has been going to her entire life. Only those that specialize in wedding dress preservation and use virgin solvent will do the best job. Also make sure their policies include a guarantee over the cost of your dress, in case of any damage.

Read the label

Depending on the materials and detailing of your wedding dress, each one has its own specifications. This is one tag you don’t want to throw away. Instead, keep it somewhere safe and read it before taking it to the wedding dress preservation specialist, this will give you an idea of which type of solvent are safe to use, and which are ones are forbidden. Don’t forget to give the label to your specialist and ensure the list of specifications is being considered.

The sooner the better

Waiting more than one week to get your wedding dress professionally cleaned and preserved is not the best idea. There are some invisible stains, from champagne or white wine among others, hat become pale yellow and darken over time, making them harder to remove. Timing is of the essence, and experts recommend waiting no longer than 48 hours after tying the knot to get your wedding dress properly cleaned and preserved.

 

Storage

When you get your dress back and it’s time to put it away, remember it’s a very delicate garment. First of all, you must keep it away from the sunlight to avoid unwanted discoloration, which will make your beautiful white dress into yellow. The place where you’ll be storing it has to be high enough from the ground to avoid any water damage from flooding. Take it off the hangers. The weight of the material will cause ballgown dresses such as Calypso LA20120 to lose their shape over time. The best way to keep it safe is to either leave it in the professional wedding preservation box, which is made with acid-free plastic, or store it inside a wedding chest.

Wedding dress cleaning and preservation should be added to your overall budget, since you will be spending between $250-$700 in this professional service. This might seem like a big amount of money, but when you look at the big picture, your wedding dress, along with your rings and accessories, is the only tangible memory you will be left with after the ceremony and the reception are done. You already made an investment in your perfect wedding dress, investing in keeping it spotless and immaculate is definitely worth it. Not only will you be able to look stunning on your wedding day, but also on your anniversary or, perhaps, even watch your own daughter walk down the aisle in it one day. It’s all about preserving the most cherished moments of your wedding beyond the photography and videography.