We have collated some expert tips to help you preserve the color, fabric, and shape of your wedding dress.

How to Maintain Your Wedding Dress: Tips for Preserving Your Wedding Dress

Considering that the average cost of a wedding dress is $1,357, your gown is most likely one of your most pricey and valuable articles of clothing. It is definitely special as it is amongst the very few tangible items that you actually get to keep from your big day. After having spent a boatload of cash and invested a lot of your time and energy getting that perfect dress for you, it only makes sense that you would want to properly preserve it.

Regardless of if you are looking to retain the special memories it holds, dreaming of having your daughter wear it on her special day, or even the possibility of passing it further down to your granddaughter, properly preserving your wedding dress will help ensure that those special moments to come will be even more special. 

We have put together a number of tips to help you maintain the color, fabric, and shape of your dress.

Prior to the wedding: Handle your wedding dress carefully

It is worth noting that the process of preserving your wedding dress begins even before you walk down the aisle. In case your big day hasn't arrived yet, then you need to follow the following tips to ensure that your dress is kept in great condition and maintains its new look as you await your special day:

The most effective way of preserving your wedding dress for the long-term is to handle it with extra care in the time leading up to the ceremony.

Avoid Stains

You'll definitely want to stay away from any substances that can stain your dress on your wedding day. However, what you might not realize is that pollen from flowers has a very great stain potential. This is especially so when it comes to the super-potent pollen produced by Lilly flowers. While florists have the know-how to remove pollen bits with shears, the issue arises when your bouquet has closed-up buds that open up as you are about to walk down the aisle. Confirm that your florist has gotten rid of the buds, and assign a bridesmaid the task of checking for buds that may be snipping.

Safe Transportation

Ensure that you transport the dress in its correct garment bag. Additionally, wrap crucial parts such as embellishments, with colorless, acid-free tissue paper. Also, don't forget to save those labels: this is important as they will be important in showing your wedding gown specialist when you are ready to have it cleaned. 

Be patient until the final moments: Wearing your dress should be one of your last tasks before walking out of the door. Doing this will help you avoid any stains from food substances, drinks, makeup or hairspray stains from the preparation process. This is particularly so for silk and rayons, which are highly water sensitive.

After the wedding: Store your dress safely
How to Preserve Your Wedding Dress

If your wedding dress makes it through your special day without any damage, then thank God. However, it is most likely that you won't be taking it to the cleaners immediately after the reception. Thus, to ensure that you keep it safe in the meanwhile, we have provided you with the following must-do's:

Use a garment bag

Avoid using a plastic bag as it usually traps moisture. The presence of moisture will promote the growth of mold and mildew. In addition, the fumes emitted by plastic can yellow your gown. Thus, it is crucial to ensure that you keep your wedding dress in its correct garment bag and store it away from light.

Lay it flat: Preferably your bridal store will store the dress for you. However, if this is not the case, then you need to lay it as flat as possible. If you have to hang it, then do so by the loops that are on the inside, not the shoulder straps, this helps to prevent your dress from stretching and sagging at the seams. Each dress is unique, thus it is important to ask the specialists on how best your dress should be stored after the ceremony.

Leave the cleaning to the professionals

Cleaning a wedding dress can be quite tricky. One mistake and you could completely ruin the dress, a small spot stain can become worse. To be on the safe side, you should leave the cleaning to the experts.

Wedding dress hack: In the meantime, before you visit the specialists, consider covering it with white cotton sheets as this helps to protect it from light, dust, and other harmful substances.

Jessica Lehry Bishop from The Budget Savvy Bride advises that the parents or a maid of honor can be tasked with taking the dress for cleaning or storing. 

Consult the Cleaning Experts

While choosing where to place your new wedding gifts can be overwhelming, you shouldn't let it affect your wedding dress preservation process. According to pundits, you should have your wedding dress cleaned within six months, not any longer. However, if it's silk, you should have it cleaned right away.

 Kathy Wright from Heritage Garment Preservation advises that there are certain stains that aren't noticeable at first but develop over time. For instance, if you spill clear beverages on your dress, they might dry clear, however, they will eventually oxidize and turn brown. In addition, body perspiration on the linen of your dress can discolor the dress and cause it to be brittle.

Cleaning a wedding dress isn't something that should be done by just anyone. Even though local cleaners are good at removing stains on jeans, specific expertise and resources is requires to clean antique dresses, and sensitive fabric and embellishment.

A professional wedding dress cleaner will do the following:

Thoroughly but delicately hand wash your dress - some businesses utilize organic-only solvents that contain no harmful chemicals. Remove visible stains with special ingredients. Pressing as required.

Cleaning tip: Never hesitate to ask questions. Based on the age, fabric, and color of your dress, in addition to certain beads, pearls, and sequins, you will need to use different techniques. 

Choose professional wedding dress preservation. By properly preserving your wedding dress, you will help protect it from permanent creasing, becoming yellow, growing mold and mildew, oxidation spots, and light and dust.