Wedding dress preservation is super important. Your wedding dress has so many important memories attached to it – not to mention that it was probably expensive. If that’s the case, it’s to no surprise that you would want to preserve it.
Preserving your wedding dress can save it from mildew and mold, brown spotting, and creasing. This means that you can save it for the future, whether you want to keep it for yourself or pass it on to someone that you care about.
There’s a lot that goes into storing a wedding dress properly – from having to take care of stains that you can’t even see, to making sure that you’re storing it using the right tissue paper.
This is why we’ve compiled all of the best tips for making sure that your wedding dress is as beautiful as the day you wore it, for years to come.
Specialist Or Dry Cleaner?
You can choose to take your wedding dress to a professional that specializes in wedding dress preservation, or you might choose to take it to a dry cleaner. No matter who you go to, always try to make sure that you have enough information about the way they intend to clean your dress.
You should also always try to find someone with a guarantee that they won’t damage your dress, and if they do, that they’ll refund you the cost for both the cleaning and the dress.
The specialist is always worth the extra cost, however – they will be able to give your dress a specific treatment plan, based on any considerations that might need to be made for your specific garment.
Certain fabrics, stitching, and details require specific treatments, especially with the expensive fabrics that often accompany wedding dresses, so going to a specialist is never a bad idea. They also know to look for stains that you or a dry cleaner might not have thought of, such as white wine stains or mud stains on the train or trim.
If you do choose to go to a dry cleaner, however, try to find a dry cleaner that specializes in wedding dresses. Even if they say that they do, try to question them a little about their process first – if they use the wrong chemicals, they could ruin your dress.
The most important thing to ask them about is what solvent they intend to use. Recycled solvents are normally used for dry cleaning, but they are bad for wedding dresses.
This is because they can leave the dress with a strange odor. Virgin solvent, which is the solvent you need them to use, won’t do this, so wedding dresses should always be cleaned using virgin solvent.
Clean It Yourself
If you choose to clean it yourself, be very careful. Make sure to check the label on your dress in order to check for any substances that are specifically harmful to your dress’ fabric. Labels can also give you an idea as to what chemicals you are supposed to use to clean your dress.
Always spot test everything somewhere on your dress that no one will be able to see, to make sure the chemicals don’t react with the dress in a way that will damage it. Don’t ever use bleach. If you need to use any tools to clean your dress, use soft-bristled brushes.
Make sure to do your research before choosing this option, as a specialist can identify marks that you might not realize are there – like white wine, for example, which dries clear.
Acid-Free Tissue
You should always use acid-free tissue if you’re storing a wedding dress. This is because, over time, normal tissue paper can gain acidity, damaging the dress.
With acid-free tissue paper, carefully pack your wedding dress away. Each time you fold the dress, put some tissue in between the layers.
Use An Airtight Wedding Dress Box
Wedding dresses should be served in a container fit for this purpose, which is why wedding dress boxes are great!
A pH-neutral wedding dress box is important, as it can prevent your wedding dress from going yellow over time.
You should also make sure that this box is quite solid and sturdy – you’re going to keep this box for a very long time, so you need to make sure that it’s up to the task! Some boxes come with acid-free tissue paper and instructions, as a bonus.
Try to find a wedding dress box that is specific for the purpose you intend to use it for. If you choose any old box, it might be made of a material that doesn’t help to preserve your dress as much as you think.
Make sure that the box you use is big enough for your dress, as you don’t want to struggle to put it in every time and risk damaging it.
Make sure to seal the box, tightly. It is recommended that you don’t break the seal, and if you do, you get your dress preserved again.
Safe Storage
Make sure to store your wedding dress away from any damp or humidity, and well out of reach of any insects that could eat away at the precious fabric.
This includes lofts, basements, and wardrobes (yes, wardrobes), as the wedding dress might get moth-eaten, or even nested in by a mouse – you don’t want any of this to happen to your poor dress!
Maybe consider storing your dress in a spare room, or at the very least somewhere that won’t allow any heat, direct light, or dampness to damage your dress.
Don’t include store any additional items with your dress, either – if you place your wedding shoes in the same box, they might snag your fabric, for example.
Shoes And Bouquet
Don’t forget to preserve your accessories!
If your shoes are made of leather, you can polish them. If your shoes are made of cloth, you can use a soft cloth or a sponge to wipe them down – but use a mild detergent.
You can use a variety of methods to preserve your bouquet. You might choose to press and dry the flowers yourself so that you can frame and hang them, or you might choose to seal them in wax.
Another option to preserve them is using epoxy resin – you could pay someone to do this for you, or you could do it yourself. The possibilities here are endless!
Final Thoughts
Whatever you do, try to get your wedding dress cleaned and preserved as soon as possible. Try to get your dress cleaned within a week, but preferably the day after your wedding. If you wait too long to get your dress cleaned, you might find that some damage has already set in.
This is why you should always get your dress preserved as soon as possible – if you wait too long, you might find that any forgotten spills or stains from your wedding day have already caused irreparable damage.
