Most brides spend countless hours choosing their gown, but may not have given much thought to wedding dress storage. Once you have found your dream dress, you will want to store it properly both before and after your big day. These wedding dress storage tips will help ensure that your gown remains as beautiful as it was the day you fell in love with it and remains that way for years to come.
Weeks Before the Wedding
For short-term storage in the weeks before your wedding, it’s recommended that you keep your dress in a fabric (non-plastic) hanging garment bag. Avoid any type of plastic garment bag as it can cause your dress to yellow. If your dress is heavy, special precautions will be needed to avoid stretching the shoulders or sleeves.
Store the dress in the back of your closet or another cool, dark place. Keep it away from furnaces, animals, water, and windows.
If you are traveling with your dress on a plane, contact the airline ahead of time to let them know. Most airlines will honor your request to carry your gown onto the plane and hang it on the coat rack in First Class.
This is also the time to place your wedding gown cleaning and preservation order. Having the pre-paid shipping materials readily available will make it much easier to send your dress in immediately after your wedding day.
One to Two Days Before the Wedding
As your wedding day approaches, arrange to have your dress pressed or steamed. Ideally, this should be done one to two days before the wedding to make sure it’s in pristine condition on the big day. Remember that your veil may also be wrinkled, so check to see if it needs steaming or pressing as well.
Soon After the Big Day
Once your wedding day has passed, your priorities are likely to be focused on spending quality time with your spouse. Relax and enjoy this time, but remember that there are still a few things that need to be done .
Ask a close friend, your maid of honor, or your mother to send your dress in for cleaning and preservation. This should be done as soon as possible after the wedding to help prevent stains from setting into the fabric of your dress. If you haven’t pre-ordered this service in advance, you will want to place your order as soon as possible.
Be sure to use a highly reputable company that specializes in wedding dress preservation, such as The Affordable Preservation Company. They will send you a complimentary shipping kit with a box, a prepaid shipping label, and insurance coverage. Simply unfold the flat box, place your dress inside, apply the label, and take it to any UPS store. Be sure to provide your email address so you can get status updates. You will also receive a message to let you know when your dress is on its way back to you.
Wedding Dress Storage After Preservation
After you receive your cleaned and preserved dress, you’ll want to be sure to store it properly. Keep your preservation chest in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and extreme temperatures. For best results, the box should be stored laying flat to prevent the dress from shifting. Under a bed or on the top shelf of a closet are usually your best options. Never store your gown in a basement or attic.
Choosing a reputable cleaning and storage company and keeping your dress properly stored from the time of purchase will help to ensure that it will be an heirloom that can be cherished for years to come.
