Dress Preservation…What is it and should you do it?
The weddings over…now what do you do with your dress?
Some brides will donate it, some will trash it with a photo shoot, and others will
repurpose it for sentimental reasons. Preserving your dress is the best way to keep
it looking its best and protect it from yellowing over the years.
Wedding dress preservation is the cleaning and packaging of your dress to help
retain its beauty. Taking your dress to a preservationist and dry cleaner are two
different things.
Preservationists specialize in cleaning, as not all dry cleaners have
the experience or same attention to detail. The cleaning process is the single most
important part of preserving your dress and the sooner you get it done the better.
The preservation process consists of examining the dress and clearing it of any stain
(including those unseen champagne and white wine stains that could appear later)
and then creating a chemical solution just right for the materials of your dress to
deep clean it. After your dress is cleaned and it is wrapped in acid-free tissue paper
and put into a sealed box.
Pro Tip: You can wait a few weeks after the wedding, but it’s better to get your dress preserved as soon as possible, while the stains are fresh and not set in. If you leave on a honeymoon right after the wedding, ask a friend or family member to take your dress in for you.
Before your big day, do some research on where to take your dress after the wedding. That way if your dress gets stained during the wedding, you already have someone you can take it to the next day. Ask them how the dress is cleaned, if they pretreat any stains, if they do the work on-site, or if the dress is sent off to another location. And don’t forget to check their reviews from past brides!
After your wedding dress is cleaned, it will be packaged with acid-free tissue in a dress box. Some boxes will have a window to view the dress through – look for acetate rather than plastic. Don’t forget to keep the dress out of direct sunlight!
Looking for a cute tradition for your future family? Some brides will take their dress out of it’s box once a year, and take a photo of their daughter in it. So cute!
Another idea is to have your wedding dress on display as décor in your home.
Whether you have it in your bedroom, a hallway, or a walk in closet, framing your
dress is a sure way to have it out in the open for you to always reminisce on your
special day.
Your wedding day is one of the most special days of your life, and picking your dress
is one of the most exciting. Preserving your wedding dress is a sure way to keep it
looking as beautiful as the day you picked it out.
"Tiffani, thank you so much for an amazing wedding you pulled off! You had everything under control, it was so nice to relax and enjoy the wedding knowing you were on top of everything! We highly recommend Elliston to anyone looking for a wedding venue. Thank you!" - Taylor & Tyler - September 21, 2019