Wedding Gown Preservation Guide
After the Wedding: Cleaning and Persevering Your Wedding Dress
Use this Wedding Gown Preservation Guide if you are like many brides who spend months searching for the perfect wedding dress and then don’t know what to do with their wedding gown after the wedding? Now that the planning and the celebration of your wedding are over, take the time to get your wedding dress professionally cleaned and preserved.
Timing:
Ideally, within the first three months after the wedding you should have your wedding gown professional cleaned and preserved. Pick a reputable company that specializes in cleaning and storing gowns. Even if the dress looks clean, there are can still be stains that will not show up right away. Some of these stains can become permanent if not removed in a timely manner. The wedding gown cleaning and wedding gown preservation process takes approximately four to six weeks if done professionally depending on the time of the year.
Process:
The cleaning process often begins with the hem because it is usually the most soiled. Most professionals gently scrub the hem by hand and spot treat any stains. The biggest stain culprits are grass, mud, perspiration and body oils, make-up, and sugar (from wedding cake or wine).
After the dress is inspected and cleaned the gowns are either steamed or hand pressed. It will then be fitted onto a bust form and properly folded in an acid-free tissue. The dress is then placed in an acid-free preservation chest with a display window. All the materials your gown will come into contact with are acid free. If you have included any accessories, such as veils, gloves, garters, hats they are usually cleaned and preserved as well. Once the wedding gown cleaning and wedding gown preservation process is complete, the gown is returned to the customer.
Storage:
Proper care and storage of your wedding dress will keep it looking great and as wonderful as it was on your wedding day. Once you receive your wedding dress back from the cleaning and preservation process store your gown in a cool dry area with a relatively consistent temperature. Never store your gown in an attic or basement! Ideally it should be stored flat to prevent shifting inside the preservation chest, such as under a bed or at the top of a closet.
Cost:
Wedding gown preservation doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Wedding Gown Preservation Company is one of the most reputable companies in the business and offers two packages through its select authorized dealers. The Affordable Preservation Company is their top online dealer with great prices and exceptional customer reviews. They offer the Traditional line ($179) and the Celebrity Line ($219). A growing trend for these services is to order a preservation package online. These packages include a box to ship your gown into the cleaning facility along with pre-paid shipping labels, as well as insurance.
The use of this wedding gown preservation guide will help you in understanding that the proper gown cleaning, preservation and wedding gown storage will result in a gown that can be treasured for a lifetime or passed to daughter, relative or friend in the future without any concern about the condition of the wedding dress.