After the big day has been enjoyed, there is still one last important wedding related decision that needs to be made – what to do with the bride’s wedding dress! After the wedding, you really realize the wear-and-tear that your gown has endured from the big day. Be it makeup, food, champagne, perspiration, perfume, grass or dirt, the possibilities of staining your dress are endless. It can be devastating to find that your dress will only continue to deteriorate if the proper precautions aren’t taken. Here are the top 5 things you should know about wedding dress preservation …
1. Storing Your Dress In A Garment Bag Can Damage Your Dress
Beware! The chemicals in most plastic garment bags, including the white or clear hanging garment bags you might be storing your dress in now, release a chemical that causes yellowing of white toned fabrics over time. These garment bags are only intended for short-term storage and protection during transportation, but not for long-term preservation. These bags do not protect your dress from yellowing, insects (such as moths), mold or mildew. See our article on ‘Will My Dress Yellow Over Time‘ for more details. To prevent yellowing, and invisible stains from surfacing, to protect it from insects, mold or mildew, you should have your wedding dress professionally cleaned and preserved as soon as possible.
2. There’s No Need to Say “Goodbye” to Your Dress
Yep, that’s right! There’s no need to say ‘goodbye’ to your wedding dress when you have it preserved with us. If you are worried about never seeing or touching your precious dress ever again after it’s been preserved, rest assured that you can open the preservation chest without voiding the guarantee, as long as you don’t completely remove it. In fact, we even send you a pair of latex gloves in case you would like to open the preservation chest and inspect your dress without getting it dirty. You can gently sift through the layers of your dress and check the hem and other areas to make sure it’s been cleaned to your satisfaction. In addition, we now offer a personalization option where you can add a picture of you in your wedding dress right onto the preservation chest. You can also add your names and wedding date. There are several personalization options to choose from.
3. Most Dry Cleaners Send Your Off Dress to a Specialist
Although most local dry cleaners offer wedding dress cleaning and preservation, they are not actually wedding dress specialists. This can be particularly risky with very high-end wedding dresses or ones with very delicate fabrics, beading, and elaborate lace. Most reputable dry cleaners know better than to risk damaging your precious wedding dress. As a result they will actually send your dress to a specialist (behind the scenes) and charge you an ‘up charge’ so they can make a profit. This not only costs you the consumer more money, but has more people handling your dress with increased risk of loss or damage. Wouldn’t it be simpler to deal with one company with an outstanding reputation and have your dress delivered right to your doorstep?
4. Price Does Not Equate to Quality
The average wedding dress preservation company charges anywhere between $350 and $1,000+. That’s quite a range. However, it is critical to understand that price is not always an indicator of quality when it comes to wedding dress preservation, even with the most delicate high-end wedding dresses. A reputable company that handles a high volume of wedding dresses, like Affordable Preservation Company, is able to offer top quality cleaning and preservation packages, including 5 accessories, for as low as $249. So, what is the best indicator of a quality service? Genuine customer reviews! Trust what your fellow brides have to say about their experiences. Click here to read our authentic award-winning reviews on The Knot and WeddingWire.
5. Time Is Of The Essence
The sooner you are able to get your wedding dress to a preservation service the better! This is because the longer stains remain in the fabric, the more difficult they are to remove. In addition, there are often stains not visible to the naked eye at first that will surface over time, such as perspiration, white wine or champagne, or frosting. Our highly trained staff will thoroughly inspect your dress under an ultra-violet light and hand treat these stains so they don’t show up as brown or yellow spots over time. We recommend sending your wedding dress within 4-8 weeks after your wedding for the best results. However, most dresses can still be cleaned and preserved with great results for even longer. If your dress has been in the closet for several years and is showing signs of yellowing or dark brown spots, you can still restore your dress and see marked improvement with our restoration service.
Well, what are you waiting for? Be one of over 3 million brides who have entrusted their dress to us and our award-winning service! Our affordable, award-winning 5 star services has been feature on The Knot, The Wedding Channel, Bride’s Magazine and WeddingWire. To learn more about preserving your wedding dress, contact Affordable Preservation at 800-877-0135 or order online through our website.
