What type of bride are you? Do you want your photographer to capture your fun, impulsive side by color bombing your wedding dress, or jumping in a lake while wearing your dress? Or, do you want to preserve your wedding dress because it was your mother’s and your daughter if you have one, may want to wear the dress at her wedding?
There is no wrong thing to do with your dress, as long as it makes you happy. It is your dress, after all. You can donate it, sell it, or upcycle it into a new product.
But if you want to preserve your wedding dress, there are do’s and don’ts to follow. We preserve a lot of wedding dresses at Prestige Cleaners, so we know what works and what doesn’t. We have created a list of tips to help you with the process.
The first list includes tips you can do on your own to preserve your wedding dress. The second list is what professional dry cleaners do to protect the dress.
DIY Preservation Tips
Tip: Do not use bleach on your wedding dress.
Bleach has harsh chemicals, and there is no guarantee it won’t dissolve the fabric or stain it a different color.
Tip: Protect the dress when you touch it.
Your fingers have oils and germs that can transfer to your wedding dress. They can be invisible, and you won’t know the damage until it is too late. Always wear white cotton gloves when handling your dress.
Tip: Make sure everything you use to store the dress is acid-free.
Use tissue paper and boxes that have no fragrances or dyes.
Tip: Store in a dark, cool place year-round.
Your storage area mustn’t have humidity issues. You do not want to find later mold and mildew has grown on your dress due to the moisture produced from varying temperatures.
Tip: Follow Instructions on the Garment Label.
If cleaning instructions came with your wedding dress, follow them. If it instructs you to use specific solvents for cleaning, make sure you follow those guidelines.
Use these same tips on the shoes, hats, veil, and any other wedding dress parts you plan to store. Do your research on the materials used to make your dress and accessories. Consult your local Phoenix dry cleaner for advice. They can tell you the best materials used to wrap your dress so that you don’t get permanent wrinkle creases and how often you should check and re-package your dress when not preserved using professional processes.
You may decide it is too risky to try and preserve your dress on your own. If so, contact us, we are happy to help. We use the following multiple guidelines to ensure your wedding dress will be preserved for your daughter or your daughter’s daughter.
Step 1: Evaluate the Dress
We inspect every part of your dress to ensure we include all types of fabrics in the cleaning process. We also check for stains and imperfections that may not be visible, but that could damage the dress during storage.
Step 2: Clean the Dress
The sooner you can get the dress to our Phoenix cleaners, the better. The more time stains have to set in, the harder they are to remove.
As soon as we get your dress, we use our cleaning methods, with solvents created explicitly for delicate fabrics used to make your dress.
Step 3: Package the Dress
We have a unique packaging process that preserves your dress in an airtight box. We draw out all the oxygen in the box to prevent the possibility of oxidation. This can make your clothing appear aged and dirty. You know those yellowed clothes you pulled out of the attic? They encountered oxidation. You don’t want this to happen to your wedding dress.
We use materials that not only protect your wedding dress but also help it keep its shape. We then seal the box for further protection.
Final Tip: Plan for Preservation
One of the best tips we give brides is to start planning for preservation the moment after you purchase your wedding dress. After you leave the bridal shop, visit our Scottsdale-based dry cleaning shop.
We can give you a preservation estimate that you can build into your wedding budget. We can explain our process and offer tips you can do to ensure your dress can be easily preserved. With something so special, you want to make the preservation of your dress a top priority. We can help you do that.