Your wedding is such a joyful event. More than likely you took a long time to plan it, and it’s going to be a day upon which you will look back with a great deal of emotion for the rest of your life. It’s the day you and your spouse committed yourselves to each other in front of your friends and family and made an honest declaration of your love. Your wedding dress is not like any dress you’ve ever worn; it’s not only beautiful, it is emblematic of your devotion. You’ll want to preserve it, to have it years later so you can take it out and look at it fondly. That’s why wedding dress preservation is essential, just as much as the pictures that will be taken to commemorate your special day. There are ways to make sure that your dress will remain in pristine condition if you follow these steps.
Don’t Let Too Much Time Pass
Ideally, you want to get your dress to the preservationist as soon as you take it off. If you throw it on your bed and then take off on your honeymoon, any stains that got on it will have a chance to settle in. Protect the fabric by making arrangements with the preservationist beforehand.
Know The Details Of The Cleaning Process
You should talk to the preservationist to get the complete picture of what they’re going to be doing to the dress. Make sure that they’re not going to be using any caustic chemicals during the process that can damage any of the fine details. They should be cleaning each dress individually and carefully. Steaming and spot-treating should be involved.
Packaging For Safety
After they have cleaned the dress, they should wrap it in such a way that it will maintain all of its aesthetic appeal. Using an acid-free tissue paper is common, as it will prevent wrinkles. Often there are viewing boxes you can order that will allow you to see the dress without having to take it out. Then all that’s left is to store the dress in a place where it will remain in top condition, and where you will have easy access to it.
Storage
A dry, cool location is ideal for storing your dress. On first consideration, basements and attics might seem to make the most sense, but you should avoid them. Heat in your attic, especially during the summer, can cause the material to yellow. Basements can be damp, which will cause mildew over time. The best solution is usually a closet in a temperature-controlled area of the house.
Once you’ve taken all these steps to protect your dress, then you can rest easy. Any time that you’re feeling nostalgic, you can take it out and look at it, and remember the emotions and sensations of that magical, remarkable day.