The wedding is over and the most important (and likely most expensive) dress you will ever own is one of your only keepsakes aside from your wedding pictures. The sentimental value that it carries often motivates many brides to keep it for use in the future whether it be worn by a friend or even by their own daughter. In order to be sure it will stay such a valuable piece, you need to find a reliable professional to clean, process and package your gown.
As much as I love do it yourself tasks, this is one place I do not recommend you take financial shortcuts. That out of the way, there are a few key rules to follow in terms of wedding dress preservation.
As much as I love do it yourself tasks, this is one place I do not recommend you take financial shortcuts. That out of the way, there are a few key rules to follow in terms of wedding dress preservation.
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| *Photography by Kenneth Chou from Renaissance Studios. |
The Basics.
As soon as your wedding is over, place the dress in a pre-washed clean white sheet instead of back into the plastic bag. Plastic attracts mold and mildew and traps moisture - all elements that will deteriorate your dress.
Be sure to think about this service as quickly as possible as you don’t want to wait more than a week or two to have your gown and any relevant accessories professional cleaned. If you are out of town for a few weeks after your wedding for your honeymoon, make arrangements before you leave to have a family member take your dress in for its wedding dress preservation. With all of this said, if you do happen to forget, it is never too late to see what a professional can do for you as some good preservation companies may be able to restore a gown even after a number of years.
When selecting a wedding dress cleaner, be as diligent about hiring someone who has as good a reputation as the other vendors who assisted with your wedding. Often your bridal shop will have a preferred rate at a recommended vendor and the bonus is that they will be familiar with the fabrics and details used on your dress. Also consider how long the shop has been in business since you’ll want someone with a proven track record.
Warranties and Guarantees.
Warranties and guarantees vary from shop to shop so it’s best to consider what they offer before proceeding. It’s also a good idea to ask the cleaner how they intend to handle delicate trims and decorations on your dress if your dress has a lot of detail. The dress’ material and detailing will ultimately effect what type of specialized process will be used to clean it.
At the very least, the vendor should guarantee that the dress won’t yellow or change colour and that sugar stains will be properly treated to prevent caramelization of sugar stains (they’ll show up as brown stains if not removed properly). Hopefully, they will also guarantee against insect infestation.
Most importantly, make sure they stand by their work and be sure to have in writing that they will compensate you for the dress’ full value if any damage occurs while it is in their hands.
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| *Photography by Kenneth Chou from Renaissance Studios. |
The Treatment Process.
Just as with any cleaning process, they will begin with pretreating the stains. This is often done by hand. While it is recommended that you look over your dress and accessories before bringing it in so that you can find anything with your own eye, a professional cleaner will now to look for stains that are not visible to the untrained eye, like stains from alcohol or sugar, which can significantly brown over time if not treated.
Inquire about whether your cleaner uses Perchloroethylene (Perc). While this chemical is sometimes used by dry cleaners, it is not suitable for wedding dresses. but it’s too abrasive for wedding gowns and has been known to melt beading or damage delicate fabrics.
After the full cleaning process, the dress and accessories will be placed into special packaging: a lined, specifically treated, acid-free box, which is resistant to water and other potential threats. If your cleaner uses plastic packaging, be sure to ask why since it is generally a bad choice as it traps moisture and emits fumes, both of which can make the dress yellow. Note though, that your cleaner should be providing you with the opportunity to inspect the dress and accessories before they are sealed in the box.
Storage.
The ideal location for your safely packaged wedding dress is someplace flat, cool, dry and out of sunlight like under the bed or in the corner of a closet. The basement and attic are definite no-go’s! Check the gown once or twice a year, each time refolding along new lines to protect the fabric from breaking, always with clean, dry hands. By inspecting it, you now have the opportunity to have them addressed right away instead of discovering years later!
Investment.
Finer fabrics, size and detailing can change the amount of cleaning and preparation needed. For example, a long train and lots of hand detailing will require more work than something simple. The severity of a stain will require additional labour, thus increasing the cost of the job. As with anything, location can impact this pricing as well. For example, Toronto will be much pricier than Hamilton, but you may be paying for a better service - someone who deals with dresses en mass. Average pricing for wedding gown preservation is somewhere between $200 and $500, but of course, this pricing can always increase.
