Let’s face it, proper upkeep and storage of the gown both before and after the wedding day is key to keeping it safe for years to come. Improper storage of the gown, coupled with not having it cleaned professionally, may lead to stains and yellowing of the gown a few years down the line. So, we’ve put together a brief but essential guide on how to store gowns for a short or long term, such that it remains the same even years later.
Important steps of handling wedding dresses
As with most other things in life, proper maintenance and storage is the key. Regardless of whether you’ve chosen to opt for a wedding dress preservation kit for the short term for an upcoming wedding, or chosen to opt for long term preservation for the future, following a few simple rules can prolong the life of your wedding gown.
Here are a few simple but important tips for handling and storing wedding gowns.
- Clean your hands thoroughly before removing the dress from the wedding dress preservation kit or the garment bag where you have been storing the gown lately. The skin holds natural oils which can damage the dress and thus, washing the hands prior to handling the gown is a good way of protecting the dress from oil stains.
- Though it’s a little excessive, a quick shower prior to handling the gown is always a good idea. However, the use of lotions, deodorant or perfume, and makeup can ruin the gown. Sometimes the damage is not visible to the naked eye, but the molecules of the lotions or perfume cause fabric staining. This is why a quick shower always helps.
- Pieces of jewelry tend to have sharp edges that can cause pulls or tears in the gown fabric, thus remove any and all jewelry that you might be wearing while handling the wedding gown.
- Lastly, wear white cotton gloves while handling gowns. Wear them once you’ve washed your hands thoroughly and are ready to take the dress out of the preservation kit or the garment bag.
Short term storage of up to 6 months
If you’ve recently said ‘I do’ in a closed ceremony and plan on hosting a party for friends and office colleagues in a couple of months, it’s wise to opt for a short term storage plan. This is where a wedding dress preservation kit shines. In normal conditions, wedding gowns start yellowing in 6 months, so opting for a short storage plan would help keep the dress retain its pristine look for the next event. A key factor to keeping it safe and blemish-free is to handle the gown as little as possible and let it be in the box until the day of the event arrives.
Long term storage for up to 18 months
When you find yourself in a position where you would have to wear your wedding gown in 12-14 months, you’d have to store it accordingly. In fact, there are some special considerations to be made. By far the largest concern is and will always be the yellowing of the gown. So, if you are planning on keeping your gown in storage for over 12 months, you’d have to opt for professional cleaning. This removes the transfer of foreign contaminants. Once the process is complete, choose a wedding day preservation kit and rest easy knowing your gown would still look the same when you take it out after 12-14 months for another event.
Key takeaway
Clearly, your wedding gown is an expensive purchase. Moreover, it has some sentimental value. So, it would be quite disheartening to see it turn yellow in a matter of a few months. This is where professional cleaning and preservation services matter. The preservation kit or the boxes are designed to let the fabric breathe while also maintaining its integrity. It is a small investment to help keep your family keepsake intact and maintain its vibrancy.
