Should I Get My Wedding Dress Preserved?

Choosing the style and design of the bride's wedding dress is a crucial part of the wedding planning process.

Whether or not you want to keep your wedding gown is a personal choice. But if you're thinking about preserving something, be sure it's something you'll enjoy today and in the future.

We are confident that you will not discard your beautiful gown after wearing it for one unforgettable day.

You may avoid any blemishes or discoloration from time or the big day itself by having your wedding dress preserved or cleaned after the big event.

What's the distinction between preservation and cleaning, and do you really need to perform both? Modern brides can do whatever they choose with their wedding dress.

One option is to sell or donate the dress. Some brides wear their wedding gowns again as lingerie or cocktail clothing, while others "trash it" in a photoshoot full of shockingly bright colours.

However, many brides prefer to keep the gown they wore on their wedding day since it holds such special meaning.

This is why preserving bridal gowns is so crucial. Most wedding gowns are extremely fragile and meticulously crafted, making regular dry cleaning impossible.

If you want your wedding dress to endure a lifetime, it must be cleaned and preserved properly. There are a few things that could go wrong if you don't store away your wedding gown:

• fabric yellowing
• Spots of brown oxidation
• Proliferation of mould and mildew
• Permanent wrinkling of the cloth

Preservation of Wedding Gowns vs. Routine Dry Cleaning

Preserving a wedding dress requires an expert's evaluation, as opposed to the "one size fits all" approach of dry cleaning.

The expert examines the staining along the hem and the entire dress and formulates a custom treatment plan based on the specifics of the fabric, construction, and design of your garment.

However, some laundromats also provide a specific service for cleaning bridal gowns. They are usable, but you should verify their procedures before relying on them.

Find a dry cleaner that employs virgin solvent, as opposed to recycled solvent, for best results.

Your wedding dress may end up smelling funny if you get it dry cleaned with recycled solvents because of the impurities in the solvents. Therefore, only a virgin solvent should be used for cleaning and preserving wedding dresses.

Do your homework on a potential cleaner or preservationist before hiring them. It's important to get someone that promises they won't mess anything up while they're preserving it.

And make sure you get a written promise that the full price of the garment will be returned if something happens to it.

Find out how long the preservationist promises the dress will stay as flawless as the day it was cleaned.

Preparing, Wearing, and Storing Your Wedding Gown

When We Send Your Dress Out The Door

You'll need a car with a flat backseat to transport your dress. If you want to let your dress's train hang down, you'll need quite a bit of space.

Because your dress won't wrinkle thanks to the bust form and long bag holding it, you won't have to worry about ironing it before the big day.

Hang your dress as high as you can over a door frame when you get back inside your house. Don't take the risk of dust or insects getting on it by taking it out of the bag.

To avoid creases, use a larger bag or unzip the bottom of bag and lay the train flat on a clean sheet.

It is not a good idea to hang your dress from a moving fixture like a fan or light. Accidents can cause damage, including burns and damage.

Be sure the fabric of your dress can handle being steamed before you attempt to steam it. For long distance travel, for instance, you might want to give your gown a quick iron.

Instead of pressing your gown with the clean soleplate of your iron, use a flat, white sheet.

Low heat without steam is necessary for delicate fabrics like chiffon, organza, crepe, georgette, and Chantilly lace. Stretch fabrics, satin, Mikado, Alencon lace, and dryers set to medium heat are all safe to wash. High heat can be tolerated by linen and cotton if the fabric is pressed quickly and with the having to press cloth.

On The Day of Your Wedding

Put on your perfume and hairspray before placing on your wedding dress to prevent any embarrassing mishaps. As you get ready, you should take extra precautions to avoid ruining your gown.

The first step to looking like a bride is putting on the dress and having your attendants tie your shoes.

Cover your outfit with a towel before touching up your lipstick or spraying your hair.

At the very least, you should polish your nails the day before the big event. When applied to a silk garment, wet nail polish can cause the dye to run, ruining the garment.

Applying light pressure with a dry cloth will help remove water spots. Items that are completely dry can be ironed by hand if desired.

Lightly dusting the spill with cornstarch and baby powder will help absorb oily spills like makeup, lipstick, and more. Avoid further aggravating the wound by refraining from further rubbing. You should powder the fabric, wait 15 minutes, and then shake it out gently.

This strategy will hide any unsightly flaws until after the wedding, when they can be cleaned by a pro.

In the event of a wine or beverage spill, it is best not to use water or any other liquid that could dilute the stain. Dabbing with a cloth and then dusting the area with powder will get rid of oil stains.

Small amounts of blood can be cleaned up with just a damp Q-tip and some clean saliva. Once the stain has been removed using enzymes, blot it dry using a dry towel.

The fibres of your dress will be worn down and permanently embedded by the tar and asphalt.

Have your bridesmaids grab the skirt and train so you can quickly cross the driveway or walk down the street.

Congratulations, You've Just Tied The Knot

HANG your wedding dress from loops sewn into the dress's sturdy side seams, never from the shoulders, where it could sag.

Storing your wedding dress in a plastic bag or vacuum-sealed, plastic-wrapped containers for an extended period of time can cause it to yellow from the gases produced by the plastic and also trap moisture, which leads to mildew.

Bring your wedding dress in as soon as possible after the big day to be cleaned and preserved if you want to keep it in pristine condition for years to come. The garment you will be wearing can be stored alongside other items.

KEEP your wedding gown that has been cleaned and preserved in a dry, cool place (under the bed or in a living space closet work well).

Don't store your wedding gown in the basement or attic because of the humidity or heat.

Exactly What is Meant by "Preserving" a Wedding Gown?

To sum up, bridal gown preservation is having your dress cleaned and conserved by a professional using museum-quality cleaning products and processes, which provides a warranty against future yellowing and staining of the garment.

Because of the variety of wedding dresses available, it's important to take your time while checking for stains and documenting the various fabrics that went into your dress so that you can repair them effectively.

The specifics of this procedure will vary considerably with respect to the kind of dress, the designer, the fabric, the embellishments, the colour, and so on.

Cleaning thoroughly is the first step. You may have avoided bringing any major stains home, but even the simplest and smallest particles can discolour and destroy your outfit with time.

Did you realise, for instance, that the ingredients in your deodorant, though they are undetectable, might eventually stain your gown?

Also, your perspiration (and there was definitely an episode of tense anticipation!).

When a specialist has examined and catalogued your gown, they can design a unique plan for the cleaning staff.

This strategy will guarantee that your gown is cleaned fully and properly while yet retaining its structural integrity.

After the cleaning process is complete, the staff will gently arrange your dress on a preservation bust and place it in a preservation box made of acid-free materials for long-term storage.

Of course, this isn't any old container. This box is of the same high standard as those found in museums, where it is used to protect and store valuable objects for future generations.

This is the method most effective for dresses, and you treat yours with the same reverence as a priceless museum exhibit.

Is It Cost Effective to Preserve a Wedding Gown?

Perhaps you've had your dress hanging in the closet for quite some time, or maybe you just bought it a few months ago in preparation for your wedding.

Is the risk of your dress being yellowed, discoloured, and frayed without preservation better than the joy of wearing it on your special day?

Let's get right into the reasons why preserving your wedding dress is well worth the trouble and money

The Most Delicate Fabrics Are Used to Create Wedding Dresses

Dresses for weddings aren't exactly made to withstand repeated use. Most dresses are made of delicate fabrics like lace, taffeta, and silk, so you'll need to give yours the care it deserves when storing it for the long haul.

One of the riskiest ways to store your garment is to leave it hanging in the closet for years on end.

Fabric can tear or become damaged from being rubbed against and pushed around when on a hanger.

You may prevent the delicate fabrics from deteriorating over time by putting your dress in a preservation box and keeping it in its original shape by placing it on a bust.

So That It May Someday Be Worn Again, a Living Family Heirloom

The styles of wedding dresses that are currently popular often go out of style after a few years.

Everything that was once out of fashion is back in trend, including bare shoulders, long sleeves, and bustles.

What if the dress you wore to your wedding was suddenly in vogue again when it was time for your daughter's or granddaughter's big day?

The least they could do would be to wear the dress you were married in when they tie the knot themselves.

The best way to guarantee that your dress will look as stunning on their big day as it did on yours is to have it professionally cleaned and preserved.

Stains, Not Air, Are to Blame For The Yellowing of Wedding Gowns

Untreated stains are a major contributor to the yellowing that can occur on wedding dresses after they have been preserved for a long period of time.

And of all the potential stains for a wedding dress, sugar is the worst.

Your clothing will eventually look "yellowed" as the sugar compounds in it break down the fibres.

Sweat stains, grass stains, and oil stains from food are other culprits that can turn a white wedding dress yellow.

No matter how carefully you plan to maintain your gown for the long term, it is imperative that you have it professionally cleaned before putting it away.

Cost-Effective Wedding Dress Preservation Has Never Been Possible Before

About 20 years ago, only the wealthy could afford to have their wedding gowns preserved, as doing so needed specialised equipment that most dry cleaners didn't have.

Due to technological advancements like the internet and mail-in wedding dress preservation, this service is now accessible to everybody at a very reasonable cost.

In addition to being secure, insured, and guaranteed for more than a century, mail-in preservation is also easy.

Even after factoring in the markup local dry cleaners add on to the cost of sending your dress to the same service that internet companies employ, preserving it through a mail-in service would still save you hundreds of dollars.

How Long Will My Wedding Dress Stay Preserved?

This is the number one enquiry we get from brides, whether their big day occurred just last year or 30 years ago.

It's never too late to have your wedding gown preserved, but it's best to have it cleaned and conserved as soon as possible after the big day to avoid damaging the delicate textiles.

This will ensure that your bridal gown retains its beautiful colour and shape for far longer than the 100 years covered by our included anti-yellowing and anti-staining warranty.

The delicate materials of your wedding dress will start to yellow in around six months if you don't take any special care of them after the big day.

Sweat, deodorant, white wine, perfume, and other nearly unnoticeable stains from the big day will turn ugly and dark within a year.

More cleaning solutions and processing will be required as the yellowing and stains get more embedded in those sensitive fabrics.

This is why it's crucial to have a professional cleaner and conservator work on your wedding dress within a month of the big day

Preserving Your Wedding Gown

Your Wedding Gown Could Have Invisible Stains

Surprisingly, invisible spills pose the greatest threat. This is due to the fact that normal dry cleaning cannot remove sugar-based caramelization over time, which turns white wine and other latent stains into dark brown colours.

Even though you may believe your gown to be especially delicate, a latent stain will turn from invisible to visible in as little as six months, turning from pale yellow to dark as it ages. Intensified temperature speeds up the procedure.

Experts in cleaning and preservation are educated to see the minute details that lay hidden to the untrained eye. They can handle any stain, apparent or otherwise, on your wedding dress.

Did you accidentally soil the hem of your garment while taking those ideal garden photos? Is that stain from the red wine that got spilt on it at the party? Maybe an aunt came in for a hug and got a little too close, smearing her makeup on it.

Each different kind of stain will have its own unique treatment strategy.

Read the Care Label Carefully

That's not a tag you want to overlook. Inspect the label for any instructions for dry cleaning, such as "Dry Clean Only with Petroleum Solvent."

Pay attention to what it has to say, and check with the preservationist or dry cleaner you hire to be sure they have the right cleaning methods for your wedding dress.

Crucial Decisions Must Be Made Quickly

The sooner you can bring the wedding dress to the preservationist or the dry cleaners for a professional cleaning, the better it will be for long-term storage.

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for brides to wait as long as six weeks before taking their dresses to be cleaned. Stains will be permanently embedded by then.

When the celebration is complete, change out of your attire and have it cleaned the following day.

Arrange for a bridesmaid or your mother to photograph your wedding picture before you travel off on your honeymoon.

The Preservation Container Must Have an Airtight Seal

In order to preserve a dress, the oxygen must be removed from the container and replaced with nitrogen.

The oxidation (ageing, discoloration, etc.) that might occur to clothing after being stored for a long time is avoided in this way.

Experts advise that you never remove the seal from your wedding dress and, if you accidentally do, that you have it resealed immediately.

Keep the Wedding Gown in a Cool, Dark Place

Following a thorough cleaning, the bridal gown should be put away. Keep the outfit out of the sun, or it will quickly fade and turn yellow.

Taking it off the hanger can distort even the heaviest of dresses. Don't store your clothes in an ordinary plastic bag with a zipper. A wedding dress may become discoloured if it comes into contact with plastic like that.

Wedding preservation boxes, however, are composed of acid-free plastic, thus they are an exception to this rule. Instead, invest in a quality wedding chest or a professional preservation box.

The best approach to preserve your wedding dress for future generations is to keep it in an acid-free wedding chest that blocks off all air and light. Gowns can be safely stored in airtight bags for the short term, but hanging them up for an extended period of time is not recommended.

Bring a Shoe Box And a Flower Bouquet

The right measures taken will allow you to keep your shoes and bouquet safe alongside your gown.

If your shoes are made of cloth, you should clean them using a soft sponge and towel with a mild detergent.

Polish your leather footwear to keep it looking like new. If you really messed up your boots, you can always drop them off at a dry cleaner.

You can store your clean shoes in a box by first wrapping each pair in white tissue paper.

You may be able to put your shoes in the preservation box with your dress if they are made of the same fabric.

If you want to know if this is feasible, you should consult with your preservationist. The petals can be epoxy resin coated, pressed, hung, or coated in wax for usage in bridal bouquets.

Keep Your Wedding Gown Safe

Having your wedding dress professionally cleaned and preserved is like giving yourself and your family a priceless gift that may be passed down through the centuries.

It's more likely that the stains will come out of the gown if you take it to be cleaned and preserved as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Instead of the "one size fits all" approach of dry cleaning, a wedding dress needs to be evaluated by an expert in order to be preserved. Due to their delicate nature and intricate construction, most wedding dresses cannot be dry cleaned on a regular basis. Before hiring a cleaner or preservationist, make sure you've done your research on them. A vehicle with a flat backseat is required to transport the dress. The bust form and long bag will keep your dress wrinkle-free throughout the day.

Also, make sure you have a written guarantee that you will be reimbursed in full if anything happens to the garment. In order to preserve your wedding dress, you should have it cleaned and preserved by a specialist. It ensures that the garment won't become stained or yellow over time. After the wedding, brides should bring their gowns in to be preserved and cleaned. The best way to maintain a dress is to preserve it, and you handle yours with the same care as if it were a priceless museum exhibit.

You should treat your dress with the respect it deserves because most are made of delicate materials like lace, taffeta, and silk. Typically, the most well-liked wedding dress of the moment will go out of style within a few years. Putting the fabric in a preservation box will help keep it from deteriorating over time. Once wedding dresses have been preserved, they can start to yellow if any stains aren't treated. Preserving your wedding dress is something you can do at any time, but doing so as soon as possible after the big day is ideal.

The most dangerous type of spill is undetectable. However, the sugar-based caramelization that turns white wine and other dormant stains into dark brown colours cannot be removed by dry cleaning. Some brides wait up to six weeks after the wedding before having their dresses cleaned. Avoid using a standard zip-top plastic bag to keep your clothes in. A wedding dress should be treated with care because contact with plastic could cause discoloration.

If you take the proper precautions, you can protect not only your wedding dress, but also your shoes and bouquet. Hanging up gowns for an extended period of time is not recommended, but storing them in airtight bags for the short term is fine. Purchase a professional preservation box or a high-quality wedding chest instead.

Content Summary

• Choosing the style and design of the bride's wedding dress is a crucial part of the wedding planning process.
• Whether or not you want to keep your wedding gown is a personal choice.
• If you want your wedding dress to endure a lifetime, it must be cleaned and preserved properly.
• Hang your dress as high as you can over a door frame when you get back inside your house.
• Be sure the fabric of your dress can handle being steamed before you attempt to steam it.
• Applying light pressure with a dry cloth will help remove water spots.
• Dabbing with a cloth and then dusting the area with powder will get rid of oil stains.
• Bring your wedding dress in as soon as possible after the big day to be cleaned and preserved if you want to keep it in pristine condition for years to come.
• After the cleaning process is complete, the staff will gently arrange your dress on a preservation bust and place it in a preservation box made of acid-free materials for long-term storage.
• You may prevent the delicate fabrics from deteriorating over time by putting your dress in a preservation box and keeping it in its original shape by placing it on a bust.
• And of all the potential stains for a wedding dress, sugar is the worst.
• Even after factoring in the markup local dry cleaners add on to the cost of sending your dress to the same service that internet companies employ, preserving it through a mail-in service would still save you hundreds of dollars.
• It's never too late to have your wedding gown preserved, but it's best to have it cleaned and conserved as soon as possible after the big day to avoid damaging the delicate textiles.
• The delicate materials of your wedding dress will start to yellow in around six months if you don't take any special care of them after the big day.
• This is why it's crucial to have a professional cleaner and conservator work on your wedding dress within a month of the big day
• Preserving Your Wedding Gown Your Wedding Gown Could Have Invisible Stains
• Surprisingly, invisible spills pose the greatest threat.
• Even though you may believe your gown to be especially delicate, a latent stain will turn from invisible to visible in as little as six months, turning from pale yellow to dark as it ages.
• The sooner you can bring the wedding dress to the preservationist or the dry cleaners for a professional cleaning, the better it will be for long-term storage.
• Following a thorough cleaning, the bridal gown should be put away.
• Don't store your clothes in an ordinary plastic bag with a zipper.
• Instead, invest in a quality wedding chest or a professional preservation box.
• The best approach to preserve your wedding dress for future generations is to keep it in an acid-free wedding chest that blocks off all air and light.