Best and Worst Places to Store Your Wedding Dress Preservation Chest

Did you know that most brides spend between $500 and $1,000 on their wedding dresses? Despite the growing trend of renting wedding dresses—expected to reach a market value of $1.8 billion by 2025—many brides still opt to buy and then preserve them. 

This choice is often influenced by sentimental reasons, as well as the desire to keep the dress as a keepsake or pass it on as a family heirloom. About 20% of brides even consider wearing a secondhand wedding dress, further highlighting the value of wedding dress preservation.

At Trusted Wedding Gown Preservation, we offer a range of wedding gown preservation kits that allow you to keep your wedding dress in pristine condition for years to come. Our kit comes with a durable preservation chest box made of virtually crush-proof, hard gauge cardboard. 

What is a preservation chest box?

A preservation chest box provides an additional layer of protection to the Display Chest—a special type of storage container designed to protect and showcase the dress. It doesn’t let UV light contact your wedding dress fabric, preventing discoloration and yellowing.

Do you also want to preserve your wedding dress? Don’t worry; choose your kit as per your needs and budget, and place your order today!

Note: Even if you get your wedding gown preserved by professionals, it is crucial to store the preservation chest in a safe place. 

So, here we will discuss the best and worst places to store a preservation chest box.

Worst Places to Store a Preservation Chest

• Plastic Bag: A Prominent Factor Leads to Phenolic Yellowing

While it is true that storing a wedding dress in a plastic bag can damage your precious gown, storing your preservation chest in a plastic bag can also significantly damage your gown. Prolonged storage of the preservation chest in a plastic bag leads to Phenolic Yellowing—a process caused by gases produced by plastic material, leading to premature yellowing of your wedding dress.

Also, wedding dresses are made from sensitive fabrics such as silk, lace, and tulle. These materials need proper ventilation to ensure that they do not deteriorate over time. However, when you store a preservation chest in a plastic bag, it does not allow the fabric to breathe, causing moisture buildup. This trapped moisture can further lead to the growth of mold and mildew on the dress.

• Attic: Second Worst Place to Store Your Precious Gown

Attics experience the most dramatic temperature fluctuations. The temperature of an attic can reach up to 45℉ higher than that of a conditioned room in your house, especially in summer. Heat in the attic can contribute to moisture buildup and harmful mold growth. As a result, it can significantly damage the delicate fabric of your wedding dress, especially when stored for a long time. 

In addition, attics provide an ideal environment for mice and other rodents to infest and cause damage to your wedding dress. They can chew through fabric, leaving holes and stains, and their nesting materials can further ruin delicate items like a wedding dress. Additionally, attics are often less frequented, making it easy for infestations to go unnoticed until significant damage has occurred. 

• Basement: Causes Water Staining and Fabric Weakening

Basements, while often considered out-of-the-way and safe for long-term storage, can also pose significant risks to your wedding dress preservation chest. 

We have preserved over 3,00,000 dresses to date. However, 90% of wedding dresses with water stains that came to us for preservation were damaged because they were stored in a basement. 

Basements are prone to flooding, high humidity, and fluctuating temperatures—all of which are detrimental to delicate wedding gown fabrics and lead to water stains. 

High humidity levels can cause the fibers in your dress to weaken, leading to potential deterioration and fabric distortion. Moreover, basements often harbor insects and pests that can damage your dress, not to mention the potential for mildew and mold growth if moisture levels are not adequately controlled.

Moreover, there are instances, such as a pipe burst in a basement, that go unnoticed for hours or even days. And seeing your wedding dress preservation chest in the water is not even the last thing you will want to see. So, never store your preservation chest in your basement.

• Garage: A Terrible Location for Wedding Gown Storage

Storing your wedding dress preservation chest in a garage is another poor choice. Garages are typically not climate-controlled, subjecting your dress to extreme temperatures and potentially harmful conditions. The fluctuating temperatures can cause the fabric to expand and contract, weakening it over time. 

Additionally, garages often contain chemicals, fumes, and grease that can permeate the preservation chest and stain the dress. The proximity to vehicles and tools also increases the risk of physical damage from spills or accidents.

What are the Best Places to Store A Wedding Dress Preservation Chest?

Now that you know why extreme temperature and humidity levels make attics, garages, and basements poor choices for storing your preservation chest, it is time to understand where to store your wedding dress. 

So, the best place to store a wedding dress preservation chest is the area where you and your family spend the most time and has regulated temperature and humidity conditions, such as a master bedroom.

Your master bedroom not only provides ideal temperature and humidity conditions for your dress, but you can also keep an eye on your preservation chest and ensure it is safe from any kind of pests or rodents.

Additional Tips for Storing Your Wedding Dress

Regular Inspection

Even when stored properly, it’s a good idea to periodically check on your preservation chest. This will help you catch any potential issues early, such as signs of fabric stress or the beginnings of mildew.

Avoid Harsh Chemicals

Make sure the area around your preservation chest is free from harsh chemicals or cleaning agents that could potentially leak or emit fumes, as these can degrade fabric over time.

Keep Dry

Ensure the storage area is always dry. Use dehumidifiers if necessary, especially in naturally damp areas like basements, to maintain optimal humidity levels.

Transform Your Wedding Dress into an Heirloom With Us Today!

Regardless of where you store your preservation chest, having your wedding dress cleaned and preserved by a professional wedding dress preservation company is the first step to maintaining the pristine beauty of your gown. 

So, what are you waiting for? Order your wedding dress preservation kit today and turn it into an unforgettable memory and heirloom for the next generation.