Wedding Dress Preservation Explained
Every newlywed’s wedding gown is an excellent reminder of their special day, something they will cherish for the rest of their lifetime.
Perhaps, many brides consider the wedding gown selection and purchase to be one of the most significant parts of their wedding planning. Therefore, they may wish to preserve that garment that signifies so much love, happiness and celebration. It’s unfortunate that the wedding gown is only worn once and then left untouched. But to make sure your gown doesn’t go forgotten and dusty in the back of the closet, it is essential to clean and carefully preserve this gown. With appropriate wedding dress preservation, the gown may be used by another family member – such as a sister, cousin or daughter– to wear on their wedding day too. Interested? Here’s all you need to know about maintaining your wedding gown and its importance for generations to come.
What are the reasons to preserve your wedding dress?
1. To avoid future or lasting harm
Wedding gowns are delicate and exquisite designs that require the same attention as other luxury gowns. You’re likely going to focus on having a great time at your wedding. This means you won’t be worrying about spills down the side of the dress or dirt on the hem. The reality is that you’re likely going to collect dust, dirt, champagne spills and footprints on your train. To keep your gown in good shape after the festivities, it is crucial you get your gown professionally dry cleaned and preserved. This will remove the stains before they set in and will prevent lasting damage.
As a result of improper use, management, and storage, the bridal gown may be yellow, brown, or fade with time. Exposure to sunlight, dust, moisture and other stains such as food, sweat, grass, and oil can harm your wedding dress and its fabrics. This can cause the color to fade from white to yellow. Additionally, if you keep the dress for too long after use without treating any stains, it can harm the garment. Regardless of how you go about wedding dress storage, the gown must be professionally dry cleaned before going to storage.
2. Help you in preserving your life memories
Besides the physical preservation, you’ll want the gown to be preserved for emotional purposes as well. Wedding gowns evoke strong emotions and memories for both couples and their families. Although wedding photography is significant in preserving memories for a lifetime, the gown itself is just as important. The wedding gown holds a living memory of the previous experiences and love. It may be looked at and felt at any moment by the bride and/or her family. It even can become a unique tradition, by passing it down to future generations.
3. Heritage for the future generation
Your wedding gown might be a special present for the next generation, which could include a daughter, grandchild or other members of their family. Imagine the tremendous honor and delight it would be to witness a loved one walking down the aisle in your wedding gown! This is sure to boost old memories, generate new ones and make you feel linked to the new nuptials. But to uphold and protect that legacy, you must preserve your gown properly. Who wants to pull out the heritage gown only to find that it is discolored or damaged? This certainly would ruin the appeal of wearing an heirloom piece.
4. It can be passed on or lent to a close friend
Besides passing along to a family member, it is just as special to pass along your gown to a dear friend of charity. The wedding gown may be given as a present or can even be lent out. Let’s face it, wedding gowns can be pricey, and it can be a hard to justify such an expensive purchase for a one-time use. If you have a friend who is getting married and is having a difficult time financing her wedding gown, you can easily lend her your wedding gown. But note, you ought to choose a friend who will be mindful of the dress to ensure it is cared for as expected.
In the same vein, wedding dress donation is rising in popularity. There are charities, such as Wish Upon A Dress, that are dedicated to helping brides of all budgets find their dream dress. But to donate a dress, you want it to be in great condition, which is where proper cleaning and preservation come into play again.
5. Repurposing of a wedding gown
You may wish to repurpose your wedding gown for a new life after the wedding, pending your preference. Many brides may elect to transform their wedding gown into a lovely family heirloom, christening gown, or veil for a future loved one’s wedding. We’ve seen so many creative ways for a wedding gown to be reimagined, the possibilities are endless! Repurposing your wedding gown is another excellent strategy to ensure it gets reused and lives more than just one life. However, you must ensure that the wedding gown is in good form and condition following your wedding; otherwise, it may look disappointing. As a result, the bridal gown must be carefully kept and stored for such additional functions.
6. To provide a safe place for your wedding gown to be stored
Wedding gowns are incredibly fragile and require skilled maintenance. This is why they are priced as they are, because they are high quality, garments. Too much time on a hanger can cause significant harm to the fabric, causing the materials to stretch or droop, resulting from the weight of the adornment. Additionally, tulle or lace folded the incorrect way can cause breakage. It is vital that after use, the wedding gown should be reasonably dry cleaned and properly stored. And the easiest method is to lay it flat or use an appropriate acid-free and airtight box and keep it in the dark, controlled-climate cardboard box. Your professional cleaner will advise which option is best for your specific garment.
Haven’t selected your dress yet? Check out some of our favorite bridal boutiques here and find your dream dress!
