Preserving Your Wedding Gown
Wedding gown preservation is important, as every bride should protect her investment by having her wedding gown professionally cleaned and stored. An expert dry cleaner or gown preservationist can make certain that your heirloom dress is protected from soil and age so it looks as new in 20 years as it did the day you wore it.
Not every bride chooses to pack her wedding gown away in a box. It is perfectly acceptable to have your gown altered for use as a dress for special occasions. You should have your dress properly cleaned within 1 - 6 months after the wedding to preserve its beauty. You may not see them, but white wine and champagne stains will turn the fabric in a few months.
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Preserving Your Wedding Gown
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Find a dry cleaner that advertises expert cleaning of wedding gowns. Ask the cleaner if they use different solvents on gowns than on regular clothing, as standard solvents are too harsh for wedding gowns. These gowns must be cleaned with the gentlest cleaners in an acid-free environment.
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Ask if you can see the dress before it is packed. That way, you can see for yourself if all visible stains have been removed succesfuly.
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Wedding gowns should be stuffed with clean acid free tissue prior to packing for storage.
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All shoulder pads, perspiration shields, and anything else made of foam should be removed from the gown, as these materials don't have a good shelf life and may ruin the material next to them. Same goes for metal buttons, pins or buckles.
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Never keep moth balls, or other crystals, near your gown!
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Never hang your wedding gown for long-term storage and never seal the box completely. The gown will need proper air circulation.
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Don't put the gown in a hot attic or a cold basement. Extreme temperature changes can also damage your gown.
No other garment will ever mean more to you than your wedding gown. Whether you choose to pass it on to your daughter or simply keep it as a permanent record of your wedding day, your gown deserves special attention. By cleaning and storing it properly, you will have a lasting and well-preserved momento that you can treasure forever.
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