The Bride's Heart

Many women decide to care for and preserve their wedding gowns themselves, mainly for cost reasons, but also because some are wary about trusting their cherished dress to anyone else, even if they are a professional.

Before you decide to take on the task of cleaning and preserving your own gown, there are a few things you should be aware of first, such as the type of fabric and how to best care for it.

Of course, dresses that are mainly plain fabric are easiest to clean, if yours has many beads, sequins, or other embellishments, you may want to have it professionally steam cleaned instead of trying to press the gown yourself. However, using a thick cushion on your ironing board, you can always press the gown from the inside, allowing the beads or sequins to press gently into the cushioning rather than damaging the fabric.

Dresses with a lot of tulle may also be difficult to care for yourself as this type of delicate fabric burns or melts easily when pressing, and also fares much better being spot cleaned rather than wet-cleaned.

There are many do-it-yourself wedding gown preservation kits to choose from that contain everything you’ll need to preserve your dress like the experts do. A typical kit contains detailed instructions, the bridal gown garment bag, padded hangers, acid-free tissue paper, twill tape, and usually gloves for handling the dress after it has been cleaned.

Renting a Wedding Dress

If finances are an issue, or if you aren’t the sentimental type interested in saving your gown, you always have the option of renting your wedding dress instead of purchasing one.

Traditionally, men have been the only ones with the luxury and option of renting their wedding attire, but now women are also realizing the benefits. Even those brides who can afford to spend a few thousand dollars of their budget on their wedding dress may decide on renting for practical purposes.

Some bridal shops and boutiques will even alter or modify their dresses, tailoring them to the bride’s specifications so that she’ll feel as if she’s still wearing a gown that will be unique to her.

If you missed it, also read about:

Wedding Gown Preservation
Wedding Gown Storage Options