The wedding day is extra special for every bride. The excitement of spending the rest of your life with the person you love the most is unmatchable. Even though it takes months to plan the perfect wedding day, it’s all worth it.
Another factor that truly makes the wedding day memorable is the wedding dress. Women spend hours and days trying out different wedding dresses to find the perfect fit and style. When they do find the one that brings tears of joy to their eyes, it’s the ideal moment to remember.
Hence, it’s essential to keep the dress in pristine condition before the big day so it doesn’t get torn or soiled. The care for the wedding dress doesn’t just end here. One has to pack it properly so it can be stored safely without getting damaged in any way, even after the wedding day is over.
Tips to Store Your Wedding Dress Safely
Our easy tips and tricks will let you store wedding dress safely for a lifetime.
Avoid Plastic Storage Bags
Your wedding dress might come wrapped in a plastic sheet or a white garment plastic bag. If such is the case and you have to store your wedding dress for a few weeks before the big day arrives, remove the plastic wrapping and get rid of it.
We recommend wrapping your lovely wedding dress in white or light-coloured cotton sheets. You can also opt for cloth garment bags. They are breathable and sustainable and come in various sizes and materials.
Keeping your wedding dress wrapped in plastic for long term will not let the fabric breathe and may cause dullness or even discolouration. The plastic chemicals start breaking down over time, and gases are discharged, causing discolouration and the yellowing of the fabric. To avoid your dress getting yellow, keep away the plastic bags!
Be Careful With Heavily Beaded or Laced Dresses
As beautiful as a heavily beaded or laced wedding dress looks, it’s challenging to store it properly. A single stray thread or bead tugged at can destroy your wedding dress. Worry not, though! We are here to guide you through some easy steps.
Depending on the weight of your dress, if there’s beading, we do not recommend hanging it. Take it off the hanger, place a sheet down on your bed and carefully place your wedding gown on the sheet.
Fold it gently in thirds and store it somewhere flat so it doesn’t get misshapen or move while being stored. Ensure your hands are clean before you handle the dress!
If your dress is more on the heavier side with intricate lace details and such, we recommend using the same storing procedure as mentioned above. Fold it and keep it in a box. Heavier garments are tricky when hung, especially when a gown suits your physique. It can cause the shape to go off, so avoid hanging it.
Location is Key for Storage
It might seem obvious, but the perfect location to store your wedding dress before the big day arrives is in a cool, dry, dark space. You must ensure it’s away from direct sunlight to avoid bleaching and fabric decay. Avoid storing it with anything that’s musty, dirty or has a strong odour which might transfer.
As already mentioned, remove any plastic coverings. If you must cover the intricate detailings, then tissue paper is better. For further protection from moisture, add silica gel packs to absorb any extra humidity in the air. Lastly, for home storage, make sure the closet you store your gown in is long enough to avoid creasing at the hemline.
If you wish to store your dress long-term, we recommend investing in a breathable storage box with acid-free tissue and renting a climate-controlled storage unit. The box will ensure your dress doesn’t get dirty or snag on anything else. The climate-controlled storage unit will protect your clothing from mildew, moisture and extreme weather conditions.
Hang It Up If Necessary
If your wedding gown is made of light fabrics like chiffon, tulle or organza, you can hang it up. However, remember to use padded, sturdy hangers that can support the weight and don’t have rough edges to avoid stretching and creasing.
The hanger should also have hooks in the upper area to secure your garment’s hanger loops. Remember, if you hang them incorrectly or irresponsibly, the dress may stretch or even tear over time.
Whether you plan to fold or hang your dress, a fabric garment bag is an essential item to invest in. However, if you don’t want to spend on a garment bag, you can simply use a king or queen-sized white bedsheet, depending on the size of your dress, as already mentioned.
Turn the sheet diagonally and fold the top corner to form a triangle. Wrap at the top of the hanger and overlap from the front. Secure with a safety pin to hold it in place. Continue to fold the sheet forward and pin your way to the bottom.
Once the dress is wrapped, fold the bottom end of the sheet up and pin it in place. Voila! Your dress is wrapped and safe.
Contact Professionals for Wedding Dress Preservation
Once you have had the time of your life in your wedding dress and are back from your honeymoon, it’s time to handle the wedding dress. If you have spent a fortune on your wedding dress and can afford the services, then getting it preserved by a reputable specialist is the best thing to do!
Preserving a wedding gown is an entire process that entails thorough cleaning and careful preservation by a bunch of professionals to keep the gown intact and safe for years! Firstly, the dress is inspected for visible and non-visible stains and marks. Most stains and spots are hand-treated with gentle yet practical solutions.
The professionals carefully clean the highly soiled areas such as the hem, neckline and sleeves. Next comes the preserving process, which ensures protection through the years from yellowing and stains that might have surfaced later over time.
Professionally cleaning and preserving your gown will ensure that generations will cherish your precious wedding gown.
The Final Word
Wedding dresses are usually huge investments. Hence it’s essential to be aware of what you are doing when storing them for the short term or long-term. Before you even begin, always consult the designer or a professional before you attempt to wash and keep your dress.
Whether you clean and store your wedding dress professionally or plan to do it yourself, these tips will significantly help you! As necessary as keeping your dress safe before the wedding day, it’s just as vital to keep it intact after the wedding.
