No Doubt in it. For every girl, their wedding dress is the most memorable and precious piece of dressing that they may ever possess. Once the wedding is over, you want this precious garment to be preserved and stored with all the memories and the glamour of it alive. But before storing the dress, it is strongly recommended that it be professionally cleaned. By doing this you can not only remove the stains and dirt that can be seen, but also those apparently invisible stains which will over time turn into dark ugly blotches.
Many of these untreated stains will soon become set into the fabric. Some stains may not be visible in the beginning, like simple drink spills holding sugar, or body oils and perspiration. These unnoticed stains will gradually darken and oxidize, and it will become very difficult or almost impossible to remove later and will cause permanent mark on your beautiful gown.
Once the cleaning is over, there are diverse ways to store your special dress. The most economical way is to hang the dress after cleaning. You could put the dress backin its original cover or you could use the standard polyrobe cover provided by the dry cleaners. Usually the new gown comes on a padded satin styled hanger to protect it from any snagging. A metal hanger is never recommended for it may corrode and cause irreversible damage to the gown. However, asa word of caution- it is not advisable to keep the gown hanging for a long period of time. As time elapses the stress on the seams of the hanging gown is going alter the shape of the gown.
Since you are going to store the dress for the years to come and maybe hand it down to the next generation, remember not to use plastic dress covers as they are not suitable for a long period of storage. This is because plastic will definitely let in light and cause the fabric to fade. There is also another danger of humidity. In this case there will be condensation within the plastic covers and this will lead to mildew and mould. You really don’t want your beloved wedding dress to go through such horror! Hence, it would be advisable to go in for a professional wedding gown box.
A wedding gown box can protect your precious gown from light and dust, which bringdiscoloration or marks on your dress. A good strong box and proper packing can give great protection to the gown and in addition to that it will allow the fabric of the dress to breathe. These boxes are quite presentable too and will store and protect your dress.
Most things around the dress like the wood in your cupboards, dyes found in the colored tissue papers or the suitcase linings all have acid. The acid will affect the fabric of your gown if it is in long contact with such items, and cause yellowing or discoloration to appear after several years. With correct professional help, your dress will be carefully packed in white, acid free tissue paper which will prevent this happening. The bodice and the sleeves will be stuffed with tissue paper which will help retain the shape of the dress.
The thing that worries most brides is the cost of the cleaning and preservation of the wedding gowns. The cleaners cannot quote a price unless they get to see the dress. The cost of the cleaning and boxing depends on the size of the dress, the design of the dress, the type of beading or embellishments used, the material used for making the dress and so on. But roughly speaking, cleaning starts from around 80 pounds for the simplest of designs. The more complicated and intricate designs may go up to around 160 pounds.
In addition to the cleaning there is the charge of the boxing of the gown. If it is a slim gown with no other frill or embellishments, then the cheapest box would probably cost you around 50 pounds. A gown with a full design would definitely require a deeper box and this would cost you around 65 pounds. All the boxes have a viewing window and best of all your veil or tiara can be packed along with your wedding gown. So, I would recommend that you go for professional help in preserving your cherished gown.
It is advisable to store your wedding dress away from heat, light, dust and moisture. Never ever dream of storing your dress in the attic for it is a ticking time bomb! So that’ssome hard NO. Extreme fluctuations in temperature, leaking roof, dampness and insects can all wreak damage even if it is well protected in the wedding box. In the same way please avoid storing in the garage or shed or other areas of high humidity and extremes of temperature. Once the packing has been done, do check on your dress once every six months or so, to make sure that nothing wrong has happened to it and your beloved dress is in good shape. When you look once in a while, as a bonus you can also relive the memories of the big day.
It would be a good idea to unpack the dress and repack it every year so that the creases will not become permanent. You can easily get the help of your dry cleaner to unpack and repack again. This will ensure the longevity of your gown. Most dry cleaners recommend removing and rewrapping the gown with fresh acid free paper. In the process the old folds will be replaced by new folds and so getting rid of permanent creases in the dress. Acid free boxes should be replaced every 15 years if possible.
It is a very common misconception that the wedding gown should be stored in an airtight box. The natural fabrics of your gown need to breathe in order to retain their original state. Most Wedding gown boxes allow your dress to breathe. Be sure that the dry cleaner you choose is providing you with an after-care solution to keep your gown safe and beautiful for years to come.
As the years pass by, you will take great delight in unwrapping and sharing memories of a well-preserved gown with your daughter and granddaughter. This is indeed a memorable moment and the gown can be handed down from mother to daughter, keeping alive a long-cherished moment in life.