A Simple Method to Preserve Your Wedding Gown

For the majority of women, their wedding day is one of the most memorable days of their life. The flowers, the guests and the vows are just part of the special day. However, there is one part of the wedding day that every bride loves: her gown. The wedding dress is perhaps the most important reminder of the love that is exchanged on a wedding day, aside from the rings.

Many women seek to preserve their dress either has a keepsake, or for their daughter to have if she chooses to marry in it. Preservation is not like saving leftover food for later, it does not get thrown in the closet to be buried by all the other clothes that are inside. There is a process and method behind wedding dress preservation that should be followed, especially if you want it to remain beautiful for decades to come.

First, when you take your dress home, before the wedding, you want to be sure that you keep it in the garment bag that covered it. After the wedding it should be dry cleaned by a professional company that has experience in cleaning wedding gowns. Be sure that all stains are pointed out to the dry cleaner so that they can use special non-harmful chemicals to have them removed.

After your dress has been cleaned you should wrap it in acid-free paper and store it in an acid-free box. The box should be sealed well and kept at room temperature and in a dry area that is out of direct sunlight.

If you prefer to keep your wedding gown hanging in your closet, you can hang it from a padded hanger. It should be hung by the bodice to prevent stretching of the straps. A clean, cotton, all-white sheet should then be hung over the dress in its entirety. Cut a slit in the center of the sheet and you can fit the hook of the hanger through so it hangs firmly. Then use a rubber band and use it to close off the bottom of the sheet under the dress. Be sure that you do not catch the dress in the rubber band or it will wrinkle.

Whether you choose to keep your dress in a box or on a hanger you should make yearly inspections of the dress to ensure that there are no discolorations or damage to the gown. A good way to remember this check up is to do it every year on your anniversary.

If you are a little uncomfortable with a do-it-yourself preservation, you can hire a gown preservation company to preserve the dress for you. For a fee they will usually box your gown carefully and seal it to be certain there are no damages to it.

Regardless of your method of preservation it is important that it is done properly. Your wedding dress is one of the most memorable keepsakes you could ever have in your closet, make sure you can open up a beautiful dress years down the road.




Criss White is an article writer who writes for My Baby Shower Favors, a site that sells baby shower and wedding items like organza bags and organza ribbon. Criss also enjoys preparing food for weddings and other parties.