Image by Love from Luff via Allie & Nathan’s Romantic Casuarina Wedding

Your Wedding Gown: Before the Big Day

Whether you went for a extravagant ball gown or an elegant slip, the delicate fabric of your wedding gown requires attention before the big day. At Wedding Gown Specialists, we find many brides are unaware of this, but storing your gown in a plastic bag is a big no-no!

Instead, wrap the wedding gown in a clean sheet or unbleached muslin, and hang it somewhere out of the reach of children, pets, and any unforeseen disasters (we’ve heard too many horror stories about flooded basements and carelessly stored wedding gowns!)

If you are travelling for your nuptials, consider getting a destination wedding kit to ensure the safe arrival of your gown.

Now that you’ve got this covered…let’s make a list!

Image by Someday Somewhere Photography via Cherie & Shawn’s Autumnal Marybrooke Manor Wedding

Begin with the essential things you’ll need and go down to last-minute emergency stuff. For instance, it is good to have safety pins on hand for that quick fix, or a pair of flat shoes to replace those fancy heels in case they get too uncomfortable.

Compiling this list will help you organise your thoughts and calm your nerves.

Next, you should figure out whether your wedding gown is silk or polyester—we really cannot emphasise enough just how important this is. Certain stains on polyester fabric can be rubbed out with water but silk is not liquid-friendly.

In other words, water could damage your dress if you do not do your homework!

Alterations should be done about three months to six weeks before the wedding day. Stick to this general timeline when it comes to getting those final touches added to your bridal attire, and you should be good to go. Do this too early and you might gain or lose weight in the meantime before your wedding; do it too late, and your seamstress might not have enough time to alter your gown!

Greasy stains, such as lipstick, are not water-soluble. In a pinch, Handiwipes/Wetwipes or equivalent can be applied to polyester dresses—granted that you first try it out on an inside seam—but you should never do this to silk. Try using baking soda or baby powder for spot treatment on a silk gown.

Have one of your bridesmaids familiarise herself with your wedding outfit so she has an idea on how to save the day in case of a sudden style emergency, should it arise. You can find more suggestions for treating wedding gown spills by clicking here.

Image by Chen Sands Photography via Jasmine & David’s Black Tie Mural Hall Wedding

Your Gown: After the Wedding Day

Get your gown professionally cleaned and preserved. If you hesitate and wait with this step, you run the risk of allowing the stains to set in, which renders them virtually impossible to get out.

Rather than spending a fortune some years down the road, invest in a quality preservation now to make the dress last a whole lifetime.

  • A dry cleaning company that does its own work on-site is better than one that ships your dress out elsewhere.
  • The cleaning process should be geared to dissolve latent stains.
  • If your gown has beading or other fragile details of this kind, make sure you select a cleaner that knows how to handle it, or you might end up with one destroyed mess of a dress!
  • It should be perfectly acceptable for you to see your gown before it goes in the preservation chest or box.
  • You want the chest or box to be made of acid-free material, likewise the tissue paper that it’s stuffed with.
  • Check for a guarantee that the gown will not tarnish while it remains inside the preservation chest.

 

Ms Chinoiserie Says: Such great advice – particularly about removing a stain straight away before it sets.

About Wedding Gown Specialists: Click here to find the Certified Wedding Gown Specialist near you!  Our members, represented in more than 500 cities around the world, offer very special care for wedding gowns, both old and new. Our award-winning gown care includes your personal inspection, a museum-quality container, and a written international guarantee. Restorations return yellowed and stained vintage gowns to the true colour.