Your wedding gown is a memory that you will want to preserve and maybe hand down to your child one day. After it is professionally cleaned you need to take these steps to properly store it!

1 - Keep It Flat

You likely won’t be able to take your wedding gown to a dry cleaner immediately following your wedding day, so until you are able to do so you should try to keep it as flat as possible. Ideally, you will want to lay it out on a spare bed or similar - as long as it will be safe from pets and children! If this is not possible then you should hand it up using the loops inside the dress - never hang using the sleeves or straps. An additional pro tip is to cover the dress in white cotton sheets to protect it from dust and sunlight.

2 - Don’t Take Too Long

It is important to clean your dress and prepare it for preservation as soon after the wedding as possible. If you can, task your maid of honor with handling this while you are away on your honeymoon. If this is not possible then you will want to take it to the cleaners as soon as you can on returning home from your wedding celebrations.

3 - Consult The Experts

It can be tempting to just clean your dress by yourself and put it into storage, but you may live to regret that decision. There are some stains that do not seem noticeable at first but which can develop over time as they oxidize leaving behind a brown mark. This can include spills from clear liquids such as alcohol or soda. That’s why it is important to seek out a professional cleaner who will be able to spot those stains that you may have missed. A professional dry cleaner is also going to know exactly how to deal with delicate fabrics and embellishments such as beading and embroidery.

4 - Professional Preservation

When choosing the right person to clean your wedding gown, it makes sense to ask if they also offer wedding dress preservation. The right process is going to protect your gown from yellowing, mildew, oxidation, and creasing. Depending on the gown itself and the service you choose there are a variety of different preservation methods that might be used.

• Sealing - It is possible to vacuum seal your wedding gown before placing it in an acid-free box. However, some preservers say this can increase the risk of permanent creasing if not done properly.
• Boxing - This method involves using white, acid-free tissue paper to protect the gown which is folded and placed in an acid-free box. Since it is not sealed the fabric can still breathe.
• Bagging - This option involves leaving the gown hanging up unfolded on a padded hanger. It is then covered in a cotton bag. Often, twill tape can be used to offer additional protection to delicate details.