Rhiannon Hendricks
Wedding dresses are often packed in plastic and covered in a garment bag to maintain their shape, but this can cause wrinkles to form during transit. To avoid creases and folds in your wedding dress, it is recommended to steam and press your dress before the big day. You can either do this yourself at home or opt for a professional service. Professional steaming and pressing will ensure a perfect-looking wedding dress, saving you time and effort on your wedding day.
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What You'll Learn
Professional steaming services
The Wedding Steamer, for example, offers a mobile steaming service that caters to destination brides right in the comfort of their bridal suites. With extensive knowledge of fabrics and years of experience, they employ expert techniques to delicately steam a variety of fabrics, ensuring the dress is handled with the utmost care.
My Bridal Dresser also offers a professional steaming and bridal dressing service, ensuring brides look spectacular on their wedding day.
Beth Chapman, owner of The White Dress By the Shore and Beth Chapman Styling, provides wedding styling and day-of wedding dressing services for couples. She is based in Connecticut and can provide guidance on steaming and preparing wedding attire.
Some benefits of hiring a professional steaming service include their expertise in handling and steaming wedding dresses, which can be tricky and intimidating for someone who hasn't done it before. Professionals also relieve the stress and worry of doing it yourself or burdening your bridal party or family members. Additionally, they have extensive knowledge of different fabrics and can apply the best techniques to ensure your dress is steamed properly without any damage.
While some brides may choose to steam their dresses themselves or use the services of their venue or hotel, hiring a professional steaming service can provide peace of mind and ensure your dress looks perfect for your special day.
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Using a hand steamer
Steaming your wedding dress can be tricky, but it's very doable if you know the basics. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use a hand steamer to steam your wedding dress:
Firstly, ensure you are using filtered water in your handheld steamer. This will prevent any musty smells from transferring to your dress. While some sources recommend covering the steamer head with a lightweight fabric, such as a cotton cloth or handkerchief, to prevent water droplets from falling on the dress, others advise against this as it may prevent effective steaming.
Next, glide the steamer directly onto the creases of the gown slowly, using a quick circular motion. For stubborn wrinkles, leave them and come back to them later, as you don't want too much heat on one particular part of the dress for too long. If your dress has multiple layers, work from the inside out, steaming each layer individually.
If your steamer leaves a water ring, don't worry! It will dry. To speed up the process, dab it with a washcloth and then steam over the spot. You can also use a hairdryer on its lowest warm setting.
If you are travelling with your wedding dress, a handheld steamer is ideal for convenience and portability. However, you will need to ensure that it supports different voltages, depending on your destination. Additionally, the smaller the steamer's water tank, the more often you will need to refill it.
While steaming is an effective way to remove wrinkles from your wedding dress, it is not the only method. Hanging your dress up for several days before the wedding can allow wrinkles to fall out, and you can also use the steam from a hot shower to achieve a similar effect. If you are concerned about damaging your dress, consider hiring a professional gown steaming company or asking the place you bought the dress from if they offer steaming services.
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Pressing and hanging techniques
Pressing and hanging your wedding dress is an important step to ensure your gown looks flawless on your wedding day. Here are some techniques and tips to achieve a smooth and wrinkle-free appearance:
Pressing Techniques:
- Steaming is generally recommended as a safer and more effective option, especially for delicate fabrics like silk, tulle, lace, and crepe. It gently removes wrinkles without flattening the texture and minimises the risk of heat damage or shiny marks.
- If you choose to steam your dress, ensure that the steamer head does not touch the fabric directly. Steam "around" the gown to avoid leaving water spots or marks, especially on fabrics like silk and satin that are prone to water spotting.
- If ironing is your only option, it is best to have it done professionally by a seamstress handling your gown during alterations. If you must iron it yourself, place a clean, white cloth between the iron and the gown, and keep the iron on the lowest setting, always moving it to avoid direct contact.
- When using a steamer or iron, be cautious and guard against water-sensitive fabrics like silk by wrapping the steamer head or iron in a small towel.
Hanging Techniques:
- When unpacking your wedding dress, hang it up high off the ground in a safe, clean place. Remove the garment bag and any plastic covering to allow the dress to air out and relax any wrinkles.
- If your dress has a train, release it from its designated hanger inside the garment bag and examine the bustle.
- For destination weddings, unpack and hang your wedding dress as soon as you arrive, even if it is a few days before the wedding. This allows gravity to help soften wrinkles.
- To remove minor wrinkles without steaming, hang your gown in the bathroom, turn the shower on hot, and let the steam fill the room. Ensure that the water does not reach the dress, and be cautious with water-sensitive fabrics.
- When hanging your dress, use a strong and sturdy hanger that can bear the weight of the gown, especially if it has multiple layers or a voluminous skirt.
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The cost of steaming
Alternatively, some people choose to steam their wedding dresses at home using a handheld steamer, which can cost around $30 to $40. This option may be more cost-effective, especially if you plan to use the steamer for other purposes.
It is worth noting that certain fabrics, such as silk faille, satins, and taffetas, may have a natural wrinkle that is challenging to remove completely. However, the current photography style tends to be airy and blown out, softening the appearance of any remaining wrinkles.
Additionally, some brides have shared creative solutions, such as hanging the dress in the bathroom and taking a long hot shower to allow the steam to relax the wrinkles. This method, combined with gravity by hanging the dress as soon as you arrive at your destination, can effectively reduce wrinkles without incurring additional costs.
Regardless of the method chosen, it is essential to consider the fabric and style of your dress, as well as your budget and time constraints, to make an informed decision about steaming your wedding dress.
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Travel and packing considerations
When travelling with your wedding dress, it's important to take certain precautions to ensure it stays in pristine condition. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:
Choosing the right fabric
When selecting a wedding dress that will need to travel, consider choosing denser fabrics with some structure, such as denser satins, mikado, or ballgown tulle. These fabrics can better withstand the rigours of travel and are less likely to wrinkle. Lightweight fabrics like delicate silks, chiffons, and satins can be more challenging to manage and may require professional packing services.
Packing and transportation
It is recommended to transport your wedding dress as carry-on luggage, where it remains within your sight throughout the journey. Contact your airline in advance to inquire about available storage options, such as coat closets or overhead compartments suitable for hanging your dress. If possible, consider purchasing priority boarding or first-class tickets to increase your chances of accessing these storage areas. Additionally, flag your reservation for priority boarding.
Using garment bags
Invest in a high-quality, breathable garment bag to protect your dress during travel. The retailer you purchased your dress from should provide a suitable garment bag. If not, you can easily purchase one online or from bridal shops. Ensure the bag is large enough to accommodate your dress comfortably, and consider using two bags for added protection. Keep your dress in the bag provided by the retailer or a plastic dress bag, and then place it inside the garment bag.
Preparing for contingencies
Pack a travel-friendly steam iron, a sewing kit, safety pins, and a trusted stain remover to address any last-minute mishaps. Additionally, consider including stain remover wipes or a small bottle of spot cleaner in your carry-on luggage. If you don't want to handle these preparations yourself, consider hiring a wedding planner or coordinator who can provide pressing or steaming services at your destination.
Allowing time for steaming
Upon reaching your destination, remove the dress from its garment bag and allow it ample time to breathe and relax any wrinkles. If needed, use a steamer or iron to remove any remaining creases. Be sure to check with your dress designer or a dry cleaner to learn the proper way to treat your specific fabric.
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Frequently asked questions
It is not necessary, but it is recommended to ensure your dress looks perfect on your big day.
Yes, you can use a hand steamer to steam your dress at home, but it is not recommended for your wedding day as it can be time-consuming.
You can take your dress to a professional cleaner or steaming service, or you might be able to get it done for free at the store where you bought your dress.
It is recommended to unpack and hang your dress the night before your wedding to allow any wrinkles to fall out. You can then do final touch-ups with a steamer before putting on the dress.
Pack your dress in a garment bag and transport it in a suitcase. When you arrive, unpack and hang your dress up as soon as possible to allow wrinkles to soften with gravity.
