How to Store Your Wedding Dress
A lot of time, money, and stress goes into wedding dress shopping, but it’s all worth it in the end when you put on the one that you finally say “yes” to. It all becomes so clear, and you nearly see yourself walking down the aisle to the love of your life.
The fact that one single dress can be this important to you means your dress needs to be taken care of adequately after buying it. There are too many horror stories out in the wedding world of a bride’s dress being ruined because it was not stored properly. Don’t worry about the integrity of your wedding dress, because we are going to guide you on the reasons why and how you should store your wedding dress.
Why Is It So Important?
We hope we didn’t scare you or worry you too much. If you already have a dress, don’t worry, you still have time to take our advice. And if you have yet to get one, you’re one step ahead because now you’ll be fully aware of why and what to do when it comes to wedding dress storage. Let’s look over what can potentially go wrong if you don’t store it correctly.
Discoloration and Yellow Fabric:
While vitamin D is vital for you, it’s not suitable for your dress. Sunlight can fade color and bleach fabric causing embellishments to discolor. Another potential problem is yellow fabric. It happens to be one of the oldest widespread quality problems within the textile industry, fabric yellowing. And guess which fabric colors are the most susceptible to yellowing?
You guessed it, white. The white color will decay, giving a yellowish tint. Yellowing may occur when the original fibers of the fabric undergo a chemical degradation due to quality issues. While sunlight, humidity, and heat can accelerate that fiber degradation process. Proper storage will help this from happening.
Mold and Mildew:
Another issue you never want to see on your beautiful wedding dress is mold or mildew. Yes, it can happen!
Water exposure and humid air can lead to water spots, and under the right conditions, they form mold and mildew. This type of exposure can come when a dress is stored in a basement or attic. Both have little ventilation or air circulation. A basement is also prone to flooding. It’s best to stay clear of these areas when it comes to storing your dress.
Creasing and Stretching:
Due to wedding dresses using heavy fabrics and embellishments, you may find your dress victim to stretching and creasing when not stored properly. Like most clothes, if not steamed or cleaned correctly, you’re going to see creasing and wrinkles. Luckily, there’s an easy fix that your bridal shop should take care of, or you can have it treated at a dry cleaner.
On top of the issues we mentioned above, many other problems can occur with improper storage, including; foul odor, potential ripping, wrinkles, and more. So, now that you are fully aware of all the potential issues that can arise, it’s time to learn how to prevent it!
The Right Way To Store
There’s plenty of methods to choose on how to properly store your wedding dress and prevent those ‘champagne problems.’ It’s easily preventable when it comes to mold or mildew issues by storing your dress in a cool, dry, and temperature-controlled space—keeping your dress in literally the safest possible area.
To prevent discoloration, keep it stored in a cool and dark place with absolutely no direct sunlight. You never know what could happen in your home! However, we recommend looking into professional storage and keeping it out of your house.
Professional Storage:
There are a variety of professional storage solutions for your wedding dress. One thing we recommend is an airtight box. A professional service will take your dress into storage and place it in an airtight, acid-free container.
Properly Clean Your Dress:
Another vital piece of advice any bride needs to hear is, get your dress adequately cleaned! We are not joking here. It’s crucial.
There are some essential tips on properly cleaning your dress. The process required is often different than standard dry cleaning. You need a place that has the proper machinery to handle the delicacy of a wedding dress. Make sure you do your research before going to any dry cleaner. Ensure that they have the knowledge and capability to handle your wedding dress and all of its delicacy.
Other tips:
We have some other important tips that we didn’t mention above but are still just as important to consider.
- Keep your dress kept up high, away from pets and children.
- Keep your dress stored away from cigarette smoke, kitchen odors, and other household smells.
- Have a unique plan for any possible outcome, whether with a stain, material, etc.
- Don’t wait! Time is of the essence here, keep tabs on your dress and how it’s looking so you know if you have to fix it or not, and it isn’t too late to do so.
- Never hang a dress by its elastic shoulder straps. They are not meant to support the weight of a dress.
Be Prepared and Look Beautiful
You now officially have all the tips, tricks, and reasoning behind properly storing your dream dress. Just think about it, this is your wedding dress. It’s the special day that you’ve been dreaming of, and you deserve to have all the limelight on you while looking beautiful.
You shouldn’t be worrying about any of the potential issues we pointed out above. When purchasing your wedding dress, see if there is an add-on that will include storage or if the store you purchase it from has advice on where you should store it. In most circumstances, the bridal shop will have the best answer for you. Don’t forget to check out our wedding dress section for the most exquisite bridal gowns on the market.
