7 Important Tips To Preserve Your Wedding Gown

The big day is over, and it's time for your well-deserved honeymoon, so after double-checking your list and packing your bags, you're ready to go! But what about your wedding dress?

Brides have plenty of alternatives for what to do with their wedding gowns after their big day. No matter whether you choose to repurpose your dress into a cocktail dress, use it for your future photoshoot or donate it, you need to remember that: 

However, fortunately, you can plan ahead for wedding dress cleaning and preservation. Here is how you can do it:

So, what should you do to keep that wonderful wedding outfit (either designed by a couture designer or handcrafted with love and affection) in its pristine condition for a lifetime so that you and your future generations can appreciate it? Let’s discuss a few essential tips for preserving your wedding gown!

1. Tips for Wedding Gown Preservation: Find A Specialist

To ensure you don't forget to preserve your wedding dress, add it to your wedding planning checklist. 

Ask for recommendations from friends and relatives. Read reviews to find a reliable preservation service in your area. This isn’t the time you want to trust to just any cleaner—think about how much money, time, and effort you spent on it. So, you need a specialist who knows how to handle wedding dresses properly.

Ask questions about how they’ll clean and preserve your dress, especially considering the fabric and details.

• It’s important that every part of your dress is cleaned the right way. 
• The preservation expert should be familiar with working with different types of wedding dress fabrics.
• They also should know which fabric cleaning methods to use for each type of dress.

Also, remember that you don’t have to drop off the dress yourself. 

Your wedding planner can handle it (as long as it doesn’t cost too much extra), or you can ask a trusted friend to do it. Just make a note in your digital planner and choose someone trustworthy and reliable—you don’t want to trust this important task to just anyone!

2. Pay Attention to The Cleaning & Preservation Agreement

When it comes to preserving your wedding dress, it's vital to have everything on paper.

Make sure to ask the wedding dress preservation company if you need to sign any waivers. Some companies won't take accountability for preserving your dress if it was cleaned by another company, even if it arrives in good condition. Also, ask if the wedding dress preservation provider offers a guarantee in case your dress gets damaged within one or two years. For instance, ask if they provide any guarantee in case of moisture damage because they didn't pack it properly.

• Don't sign any agreement that voids the guarantee if you open the preservation kit. 
• To be safe, wedding dresses and other accessories should be aired out once a year. 
• Never rely on a price given over the phone as final. 
• It's much better to visit the company's office, see their sample work, and ensure that your dress will be thoroughly inspected and get the best care. 
• Once you are sure everything is okay, only then you can discuss the price.

3. Is Wedding Gown Preservation Worthy? How Much Does It Cost? 

On average, you can expect to pay between $300 and $400 for cleaning and preserving your wedding dress. 

• Some wedding boutiques may offer a discount if you use their service. 
• The cost also depends on factors like the type of fabric, decorations, and how stained the dress is. 
• Dresses with fewer or no decorations are usually cheaper to clean than those with a lot of beading or made from fabrics like brocade or velvet.

In addition, the prices can vary with the company you choose and where it is located—there are some places where the prices of wedding dress cleaning and preservation are relatively lower.

4. Act Immediately – Don’t Wait Too Long

• Stains get deeper into the fabric the longer they stay, making them tougher to clean. So, the longer you wait to clean your outfit, the harder it is to remove stains.
• Delicate fabrics like silk are especially difficult to clean if stains are left for too long. However, it doesn’t mean sturdy fabrics like polyester won’t hold onto dirt, spills, and moisture if left untreated.

There are still a few dos and don’ts you can follow to preserve your wedding gown for a lifetime, including:

Don'ts for Wedding Gown Preservation:

• Never wrap your wedding dress in plastic: Plastic traps moisture, which can lead to mold growth. Always opt for a fabric garment bag or a breathable cover.
• Avoid treating stains with chemicals: Do not use chemical cleaners or stain removers on your dress. These can set the stains, making them harder to remove. If an accident happens, use only a small amount of water if necessary, and inform the preservationist about any treatments used.
• Do not ignore any accidents or stains: While it's best to leave stain removal to professionals, it's crucial to inform them about the nature of any spots or treatments to ensure proper handling during the preservation process.

Do's for Wedding Gown Preservation:

• Always use a padded hanger: This helps maintain the structure and integrity of the fabric, preventing any distortion or damage to the weave.
• Leave stains to the professionals: Trust preservation experts to handle any stains. Attempting to treat them yourself can complicate the cleaning process.

5. What is the Process for Wedding Gowns Cleaning?

The expert will carefully examine the fabric and embellishments to determine the type of stains and the best cleaning method. 

• This process takes time because they start by cleaning the hem first, which is usually the dirtiest part of the dress. 
• During this process, the experts will hand scrub your dress to get rid of different stains of wedding cake, wine, mud, grass, deodorant, body oil, makeup, etc. 
• Removing these stains is necessary as they can otherwise permanently set into the fabric and damage your dress. That is why experts recommend cleaning and preserving your wedding dress ASAP.

Your garter, veil, and other accessories might also be cleaned along with the dress via SYSTEMK4 fabric cleaning technology.

• Once everything is thoroughly washed, the gown and additional accessories are either steamed or pressed. They are then carefully folded and placed in a storage box (made up of acid-free material) or hung in a special garment bag – both with a display window made of acetate, not plastic.
• Sealing the dress helps protect it from bugs and dust, but proper packaging is more important. So, even if it's not completely sealed, your gown and accessories will remain in good condition.

6. Store Carefully

In about two weeks, your dress will be ready for pickup or delivery. 

• Some brides pick it up themselves to make sure everything is okay.
• Once you have it, store the preservation chest box or bag away from heat and light, and avoid places like attics and basements.
• Factors like heat and light can cause fabric discoloration. 
• Moisture from basements or attics can get inside, even if the box is sealed, and damage the fabric and trim.

It's usually better to keep your wedding gown in a box instead of hanging it. Otherwise, it can sag and stretch over time. 

• No matter where you store it, make sure there's enough air circulation because fabrics need to breathe, even if they're well protected.

The best place to store your dress is in a room with a normal temperature, dry and away from direct sunlight. 

• In a dry closet or under the bed is a reasonably safe spot.
• Some brides choose to store their gown in a cedar chest or footlocker to protect it from sharp objects, water, light and heat.

7. Pass It On Or Treasure It Yourself

It's important to preserve and store your wedding gown, especially if you want to pass it to future generations as a family heirloom or donate or sell it. Some brides keep their dress at home for a few months to cherish it, then donate it to a charity shop or sell it online or at a boutique. 

Others keep their dress just to look at and remember their special day, along with cards, photos, and other wedding keepsakes.

Whatever you decide, take some time and effort to treat your wedding outfit like the princess it made you feel on your special day, in all probability, the most significant day of your life!

Preserve Your Wedding Dress With Professional Wedding Gown Preservation Company

Want to preserve your wedding dress for a lifetime? At Trusted Wedding Gown Preservation, we have a team of experts who can help you get rid of both visible and invisible stains from your dress and make it look like a new one.

We use SYSTEMK4 fabric cleaning technology to clean your dress. All our kits come with a 100-year anti-yellowing guarantee. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us and place an order for a wedding dress preservation kit now!