Once you take your wedding gown off you only have a short window of time to get it prepped and preserved before major stains can set in and ruin the fabric. Even before you go on your honeymoon there are some key steps that you need to take in order to ensure your wedding dress will look as good in the future as it did on your wedding day. These preliminary steps do not take long, but they are a great help moving forward.
Pre-Planning
Step 1: Find a preserver. The first thing that you need to do is find a preserver to do the work for you. Yes, you can try to use a local dry cleaning company, but specialists will not only do a better job, but they can provide you with a display box that you can use to show off your gown whenever you like. Be prepared to spend around $160 for high end preservation companies.
Step 2: Gather materials. You will want to find a large box that you can use to store the wedding dress immediately after you take it off, as well as a white sheet with which to wrap it. Assign someone in your wedding party to bring these items to the dressing room on your wedding day. If your preserving company sent stain tags, be sure to bring those with you as well.
Post-Ceremony/Reception
Step 3: Prepping the gown. When you are ready to take off the gown, lay out the white sheet so you have plenty of room to work. The wedding dress should be laid as flat as possible on the sheet. If there are already stains on the gown, or you noticed areas that need special attention, use the stain tags or stickers right away so you don’t forget where those areas are.
Step 4: Short-term storage. Once the gown has been marked, wrap the rest of the white sheet around the gown. Be sure that the entire gown is covered, especially any part where there are sequins or beads, as they may tear the fragile fabric if they are left exposed when folding. You can then take the gown and put it in the box that you brought with you. The box should then be placed in a cool, dry place until you are ready to send your wedding dress to the preserver. The same person who gathered the materials in preparation for the ceremony should be entrusted with getting the gown to your home, so you don’t have to worry about the box on your wedding night.
At Home
Step 5: Sending your gown. As long as you have taken care of the gown in the pre-planning and post-ceremony stages, you can wait to ship your gown until you get back from your honeymoon. However, the earlier you send it, the easier it will be to preserve. Be sure that all of your shipping information is correct on your order forms, and double check that you have placed all of the accessories you want preserved in your shipping bag.
Step 6: Preserving. The process should take about 4-6 weeks, plenty of time for you to get back from your honeymoon and settled into your new home before your dress arrives.
Wedding gowns are not only expensive, but they are an important part of remembering your special day. Take your time preparing your gown for the preservation process, and find a company that has good reviews and a great reputation with its customers. You don’t want to trust something this special to just anyone.
Photo credit: Ally Mauro / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
