The Bride's Heart

The main goal of storing wedding gowns is to protect them from various elements that will damage the fabric.

Yellowing, mold, oxidation, dust, permanent creases, and even light are all things to avoid when preserving fabrics.

The three methods commonly used to store and preserve wedding gowns are boxing, bagging, or sealing:

• Sealing: Sealing a gown involves using an acid-free box, usually with a window, as well as acid-free tissue paper and cardboard shapes to keep wrinkles at a minimum. Many experts agree that sealing a box actually promotes mildew and mold growth, whereas leaving it unsealed allows the garment to breathe in an environment where the air’s humidity level remains at a constant level.
• Bagging: Using padded hangers and all cotton bags, wedding gowns are hung up, using twill tape to support heavier dresses.
• Boxing: The benefits of keeping wedding gowns unsealed in boxes is that they can easily be inspected from time to time, as well as refolded. When using the box method of storage, most experts recommend refolding wedding gowns after three to five years of storage to avoid permanent creasing or wrinkling.

Wedding Gown Preservation Companies

The internet is an excellent resource for locating an experienced wedding gown preservation company, or look through your phone book and also ask friends, family, and co-workers who they recommend.

Preservation companies utilize various methods for cleaning and preserving dresses, such as the museum method, a popular choice that involves storing garments similar to the way museum conservators care for heirloom dresses.

After gowns are cleaned, they are hung on specially padded hangers and covered with acid-free paper and stored in bags made from 100% cotton.

Other wedding gown preservation companies use large boxes to keep dresses preserved and safe from contaminants or damage. After being wet or dry-cleaned, gowns are hand pressed and then stored in preservation boxes that are kept either sealed or unsealed.

If you missed it, also read about:

Do-It-Yourself Wedding Gown Care
Wedding Gown Preservation