Preserving Your Wedding Gown

So much is centered on finding the bride's dress when you are planning your wedding and then the dress is the centerpiece of the actual wedding day. What happens when all the festivities are over and the precious wedding gown is now hanging in the closet? Do you want your dress preserved for future generations? The good news is that proper care can preserve a wedding dress for hundreds of years.

When preserving your wedding gown, consider your two options: DIY care and professional care.

Do-It-Yourself Care

• Your first step is to get your wedding dress cleaned because you need to clean any sweat, makeup, or food stains that will show up more as time goes on. You want to start the preservation process with a very clean and dry dress.
• Your dress should not be hanging up for an extended amount of time as gravity and other clothes in the closet can lead to the dress becoming misshapen. You are going to want a box or chest for storing the dress.
• Do not store in plastic. The chemicals can slowly break down and leach into the dress leaving stains in the material.
• Neatly fold your dress loosely and wrap in either acid-free paper or pre-washed unbleached muslin. Place in a storage box so that it will fit snugly but not too tight.
• Store flat under a bed.
• This will keep your wedding dress safe until you know exactly what you want to do next.

Professional Care Services

Professional care services are the best choice for long term preservation. If you know that you will use a professional, be sure to follow these tips.

• The earlier you take your dress in for cleaning and preservation the better. You don't want stains to have time to set in.
• Don't wrap your dress in plastic as moisture can get trapped and lead to mildew or mold.
• Do not hang the dress on a regular wooden or wire hanger. The weight of the dress can cause the weave of the fibers to be stretched. Use a regular plastic or padded hanger instead.
• Don't try to treat stains yourself. You risk the stains getting set in.
• Once you get your dress back from the preservationist, keep the box in a cool and dry environment with low humidity. Under the bed in an air-conditioned room is a good spot.

At NJ Laundry Services, we know how important your wedding dress is to you and we will ensure that it will be treated with care. We only use the safest and most effective methods when caring for your dress. You can expect nothing less than museum-quality archival care for your own museum piece.

Do you need your wedding dress preserved? Contact us!