After the glamour and excitement of your wedding day has passed, you may still wish to preserve the memories of that day in any way possible. One of the most important things to do after the special day is finished is to preserve your wedding dress. You may wish to keep the dress in case you have a daughter, so that it can be passed on or perhaps you would just like to keep it for sentimental reasons. Regardless, there are a few steps that must be taken in order to ensure that the dress is preserves in the right manner so that no harm comes to it in the future.
Sew On Beads and Jewels
The first step to preserving your wedding dress is to secure all beads and jewels that have been added to the dress. Most beads tend to be glued on in less expensive dresses and the glue can become unattached during the cleaning process. Due to this, it is best to sew down these items so that they do not come loose and ruin the dress during dry cleaning.
Secure Bows or Other Adornments
Bows, flowers or other adornments on the dress can be secured with pins or temporarily sewn down to the dress. Sometimes the garments can be tossed around during the cleaning process and these items should be fastened down to avoid them becoming ripped or torn from the dress during the cleaning process. The more secure the dress, the less chance of it becoming ruined before it has had a chance to be put away.
Dry Cleaning
Dry cleaning can either be done professionally at a shop or with a home kit. If you have an ornate or large wedding dress with many layers or a train, it is best to take it into a dry cleaning shop to be cleaned. However, if you have a thin or shorter length dress, it may be possible for you to save money by doing the cleaning in the comfort of your home. The cleaning should be done as soon as possible after the wedding, as it becomes harder to remove stains the longer they are allowed to sit.
Sealing the Dress
After the dress has been thoroughly cleaned and secured, it can be sealed. Sealing a dress gives it an extra layer of protection against the elements and pests such as moths that might chew holes in it later down the road. Vacuum sealed bags can be purchased in most stores now in a variety of sizes and are an ideal way to seal the dress up in an air tight manner.
Boxing It Up
Once the dress is securely sealed up, all that is left to do is to box it up and put it somewhere safe. A metal, plastic, or even just a cardboard box can be used for the dress, but it should be placed on a high shelf where it will be free from flooding should it occur. You may also wish to invest in a fire proof box for it, if it is important that you keep it for a child later on.
Preserving your wedding dress can create a lasting memory of your special day. In order to do so properly, several steps like those above need to be followed to ensure that no harm comes to the dress during its years in storage.
