Lyla Dejesus
Wedding dresses are often preserved for sentimental reasons, to be passed down to future generations, or to be repurposed. The preservation process involves special cleaning and packaging techniques to ensure the garment retains its quality. This includes removing stains, repairing damage, and housing the dress in an acid-free box with proper folding techniques to prevent creases. The cost of wedding dress preservation varies depending on factors such as fabric, length, and embellishments, typically ranging from $250 to $1000 but can go up to $2500 for heavily embellished gowns. It is recommended to use a professional preservation service to ensure the dress is properly cared for and stored in a stable environment.
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What You'll Learn
To pass down to future generations
Wedding dresses are often passed down through generations, becoming cherished family heirlooms. By preserving your wedding dress, you ensure that it remains in perfect condition for your children or grandchildren. This tradition keeps the memories and stories of your wedding alive, making the dress more than just a piece of clothing.
Preservation goes beyond simple storage. It involves professional cleaning and treatment to protect the delicate fabrics from the elements that can cause damage. This includes preventing yellowing, fabric weakening, and other issues that can arise over time, such as stains from makeup, sweat, and food, which can become permanent if not properly treated. Preservation also ensures that the dress remains in perfect condition, allowing you to repurpose it without worrying about damage or wear. For example, some brides transform their wedding dresses into christening gowns for their children or use parts of them in other creative ways.
Proper wedding dress preservation is important because it will help maintain the gown's beauty and integrity for years to come, especially if your goal is to pass it down to future generations. It is recommended that you have your dress re-examined and re-processed after 100 years to ensure it will be enjoyed by future generations for another century.
When working with a preservation specialist, ensure they use a high-quality archival box that you can store in a stable environment. Conservation scientists generally recommend storing textiles away from light sources in controlled climates with a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 to 60 percent relative humidity. Avoid using plastic dress covers or regular cardboard boxes, as they can trap moisture and bacteria, leading to mould or mildew growth. Instead, use acid-free tissue paper and store the dress in an acid-free, lignin-free box designed specifically for preserving wedding dresses.
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To retain its quality
Wedding dress preservation is a special cleaning and packaging process that ensures the garment retains its quality for years to come. It is a customised professional service where highly trained fabric experts assess, clean, repair, press, and safely package the wedding gown using archival materials optimised for long-term storage and protection.
The process of preservation involves using "highly specialised materials" that are typically acid-free. Once a dress has been properly cleaned and restored, it should be housed in an acid-free box and folded using special lofting tissues to support all folds and portions of the dress, like the skirt, sleeves, and bust. The way the dress is boxed will prevent permanent creasing, and the materials used should be both acid-free and lignin-free.
It is important to get a clear picture of the cleaning process and to find a dry cleaner that uses a solvent that is gentle and pure enough for a gown. Regular dry cleaning solvents might contain impurities that can re-deposit onto the clothing and leave a strange smell. Wedding dress cleaning and preservation should be done by dry cleaners who specialise in cleaning gowns.
Preservation helps prevent yellowing, fabric weakening, and other issues that can arise over time, ensuring the dress remains as beautiful as the day it was worn. Without preservation, the delicate fabrics can degrade, leading to yellowing and weakening. Stains from makeup, sweat, and food can become permanent if not properly treated, making it nearly impossible to restore the dress to its original state.
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To repurpose the dress
There are many ways to repurpose a wedding dress. One option is to transform it into a new garment, such as a christening gown for a baby, a bridal robe, or a formal dress in a different colour. You could also use the fabric to create accessories like headbands, bracelets, bags, or even a pendant necklace. If you have enough fabric left over, you could make festive decorations, such as a Christmas tree skirt and angel ornaments.
Another option is to pass on the dress to a loved one or a stranger in need. You could offer it to a family member or friend who is getting married, or donate it to a charity that repurposes wedding dresses into gowns for infants who have passed away. There are also Facebook groups, such as "Shared Dream Dresses", where brides can gift their gowns to those who cannot afford them.
If you're looking to make a profit, you could sell your wedding dress, either online or through a consignment shop. However, it's important to act quickly, as people tend to seek out dresses that are still fashionable. You could also repurpose your dress into a popular item and then sell it, such as a lampshade or a tree skirt.
Before repurposing your dress, consider having it professionally cleaned and preserved to ensure it is in the best condition possible. This will also help retain its value if you plan to sell or donate it.
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To avoid discolouration
Wedding dresses are often preserved as a beautiful heirloom, to be passed down to future generations, or to be resold or donated. However, one of the biggest challenges when preserving a wedding dress is preventing discolouration.
Wedding dresses are typically made from delicate fabrics that are prone to discolouration over time. This discolouration is often caused by chemical breakdowns of the fabric due to light radiation, high humidity, excessive heat, or contact with pollutants and contaminants in the air. To avoid discolouration, it is crucial to choose the right storage location and materials.
Firstly, it is important to store your wedding dress in a cool, dry, and dark place, such as a closet or a guest room. Avoid attics or cellars, as these areas are prone to temperature fluctuations, air and water leaks, and vermin damage. Keep the dress away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and excessive moisture, as extreme temperatures can cause damage and discolouration.
Secondly, use acid-free tissue paper and boxes for storage. This will help to prevent any beads, sequins, or embroidery from snagging or scratching the fabric and will protect the dress from acid transfer, friction, and staining. Avoid storing your wedding dress in plastic bags, as this can lead to moisture damage, bugs, and oxidation over time.
Additionally, always handle your wedding dress with clean hands or wear white cotton gloves to avoid transferring oils from your hands onto the fabric, which can cause discolouration. If you plan to clean your wedding dress, choose a professional dry cleaner that uses gentle and pure solvents specifically designed for gowns. Regular dry cleaning solvents may contain impurities that can leave strange smells or discolour the fabric.
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$86.95
To prevent damage
Wedding dresses are often preserved to prevent damage and retain their quality for years to come. This is especially important if you plan to pass down the dress to future generations or repurpose elements of it.
Damage to wedding dresses can occur in several ways. Firstly, stains on the dress, including those from your wedding day such as spills, sweat, grass stains, and perfume, can set in, oxidize, and darken over time, causing discolouration and permanent damage. Sugar alcohols in drinks like wine and chloride salts from sweat can aggressively degrade fabrics, so it is important to remove all stains before preservation. Secondly, the type of fabric and embellishments on the dress can impact preservation. For example, certain types of beads and rhinestones with metal settings may oxidize and discolour at different rates, affecting the preservation process. Delicate fabrics like silk are also more challenging to clean and preserve, and synthetic fabrics may retain their colour better than natural fabrics.
Additionally, it is important to note that wedding dresses should not be stored in airtight boxes, as this goes against expert clothing conservationist advice. Instead, the preservation box should be opened at least yearly to ensure the dress is maintained in a stable and predictable environment.
By following these steps and seeking professional help, you can effectively preserve your wedding dress and prevent damage, allowing you to enjoy it for years to come.
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Frequently asked questions
Preserving your wedding dress is a way to retain its quality and beauty for years to come. This is especially important if you plan on passing it down to a loved one or reselling it.
Dry cleaning and preservation are two different processes. Dry cleaning is a standard process that does not involve an analysis of the gown's fabric, stitching, and details. Preservation, on the other hand, begins with an experienced specialist's assessment and the creation of a unique treatment plan.
The cost of wedding dress preservation can vary depending on factors such as the fabric, length, embellishments, degree of staining, location, and time constraints. Generally, you can expect to pay between $250 to $700, with prices going as high as $1,000.
The sooner you can get your dress to a preservationist or dry cleaner, the better. This will help prevent any stains from setting in and ensure the best possible outcome for preserving your gown.
