Your wedding dress is probably one of the most cherished items of clothing that you’ll ever wear. The dress holds with it so many special memories of one of the best days of your life! That is why it is so important to keep it safe to ensure that it isn’t damaged. Here are a few tips that will help you keep your dress safe both before and after your wedding day:
Store your dress somewhere dark, dry and free of strong odours.
Direct sunlight can cause your dress to fade or maybe even turn slightly yellow over time, which no one wants! Make sure that the place that you store your dress is also dry, nothing damages a dress more than moisture. If you’re concerned about moisture, add some silica gel bags to the garment bag where you are storing your gown. The gel will absorb any moisture and protect the dress. The place where you’re storing the dress also needs to be free of any strong odours, as the fabric will absorb it.
If you are storing your dress in a box, make sure that the box is sturdy enough to eliminate light, protect from dust and accidents, be breathable, and pH neutral to ensure the dress isn’t damaged. It may be tempting, but don’t store your dress in the attic. All sorts of disasters lurk in your attic, such as potential leaks, damp, and insects! No one wants insects to find their wedding dress. We recommend that you store your dress in an insect-free spare room where it will be safe from damage.
Hang your dress properly.
You might assume that you can hang your wedding dress by the shoulders, as you do with most other items of clothing in your wardrobe. Do not hang your wedding dress like this! Instead, hang it on a sturdy hanger by the hanging ribbons that should be inside the dress. If you decide to store your wedding dress in a wardrobe for a time, ensure that it has plenty of space around it. If you cram too many items of clothing around your dress, it will cause creasing and potentially irreversible damage. For long term storage after the wedding, store the dress in a box, not a plastic dress bag. Bags will let in light, and they do not allow for changes in humidity. This could lead to moisture damage or mould!
On the big day, wait until the last minute to put your dress on.
To avoid any damage or stains, put your wedding dress on just before you are about to leave for the ceremony. This minimises the time that the dress is exposed to anything that could damage it. Make sure all makeup and hair products are as far away from the dress as they can be. Carefully put your gown on and off you go to the ceremony, stain-free!
Get your wedding dress dry cleaned by a professional.
The best way to ensure that your dress will last after the big day is to get it dry cleaned. Not by a typical dry cleaner, but one that specialises in wedding dresses. Every dress is different. For example, some may have delicate fabrics and stitching. As a result, dresses will need to be cleaned differently depending on their design. This can be done by a wedding dress dry cleaning specialist.
The good news is that we offer a wedding dress dry cleaning service!
We can offer you some wedding dress aftercare to take the hassle out of it for you! All you need to do is bring your wedding dress to the Vow Bridal Boutique and we’ll do the rest. Typically, a dress cleaned and stored in a handmade box is around £200 depending on the size of the dress. Read our dry cleaning blog post to find out more about this service!
One last tip…
Once your dress has been dry cleaned and packed away safely, check it every 6 months to check that the dress is not damaged in any way, or at risk of damage. If you have used our dry cleaning service, the boxes provided are very sturdy. They have even been known to protect dresses from flood and smoke damage!
Preserve your wedding dress and you can admire it for years to come. If you are searching for your ideal wedding dress, contact us today to book an appointment and we’ll find the perfect dress for you!