Cleaning/Preserving your wedding dress

[infomama]

I have been putting this off for years and I have decided now is the time.

SO, did you take your dress to a "wedding dress specialist" dry cleaner locally OR did you send your dress away to one of those companies who claim to be the end all be all for wedding dress cleaning and preservation.

Thanks in advance!

[klwa]

Uhm I think it was sent to one of the local people. All I can really tell you is it's in a box. :) (My mom took it in while I was on my honeymoon. No choices on what to do with it.)

[elizabethkott]

Local Dry Cleaner. Mine's in a box too. :) Still sitting in my mother's attic. It's actually the last thing of "mine" being stored in their house. I think they're waiting until we get a bigger place to drop the bomb that I'll be storing it...

[vludmilla]

I haven't preserved my dress and here's why...
I don't expect that anyone will be using it again.
The chemicals they use to "preserve" the dress are a little scary to me.
They often guarantee the preservation only if you don't open the box that the dress is in. I find this objectionable...why preserve the dress if I can't every look at it/touch it again?
Anyway, maybe others know more about this and can tell you about advantages there may to preserving but I thought I'd give you what I think are the disadvantages.

[Gena]

I spot cleaned my wedding dress in the bath tub using Ivory soap. Then I had MIL make it into a christening gown.

[writermama]

I sent mine to a place in Virginia that also preserves dresses for the Smithsonian. They wet clean instead of dry clean. It's guaranteed for 50 years and I can open the box to check.

It was a sentimental decision. In retrospect, I doubt anyone will ever use the dress again and it wasn't valuable enough to justify the cost. I probably should have cleaned it myself in the bathtub and bought some acid free tissue and boxes (Container Store).

Both methods I learned about in the Field's book, Bridal Bargains. If you don't own a copy, check the bridal boards on this site.

[Melanie]

I took it to a local dry cleaner that I trusted who cleaned it and then sent it to some preservation place. I came in to see it between them cleaning it and it being sent to make sure it was cleaned to my satisfaction (it had grass stains on the hems).

I also think it's silly to 'preserve' it when you cannot open it, however at that time we were DINKs and had the funds to do so, so I did. I figured at least I would have a nice box and form to keep it in and if I opened it I'd have a good place to put it back into. I think it also has a window so I can see it. I keep it in it's 'preservation box' inside of the shipping box it came in so I can't remember. LOL. I always loved trying on my mom's wedding dress as a child (and as a matter of fact have begged her to keep it now so my kids can play in it, too! I think she'd rather punt it. LOL).

I like the idea of it being preserved without having to be sealed up. I wonder how that works?

[khm]

I saw this link on another site, they use wedding dresses for to make gowns and blankets for babies in various NICUs. (Warning, the site is sad.)

http://www.marymadelineproject.org/

If you aren't interested in saving your dress, what an amazing thing. My dress is preserved from a local dry cleaner, but I'm considering sending it to them as I really had no need for it.

[DebbieJ]

After schlepping my big box o' wedding dress through one too many moves, I donated it. Google the Pink Envelope Project or Making Memories. They sell wedding and bridesmaid dresses at shows throughout the country and the funds go to breast cancer research.

[s7714]

No, I never did because the price the places were charging wasn't justifiable to me. And I suppose I've been secretly harboring the wish that someday I'll have the time to dye it and rework it into an evening dress to wear again.

It's currently covered and hanging in my closet where my DDs periodically sneak glances at it and tell me how beautiful it is and that I was the most beautiful wedding princess in the whole wide world. :love-retry: How could I possibly pack it away in a box and forego such compliments? ;)

I do check it routinely for yellowing and all that stuff, and have been meaning to find a box to pack it away it, but just haven't.

[jvs195]

[QUOTE=writermama]I sent mine to a place in Virginia that also preserves dresses for the Smithsonian. They wet clean instead of dry clean. It's guaranteed for 50 years and I can open the box to check.

It was a sentimental decision. In retrospect, I doubt anyone will ever use the dress again and it wasn't valuable enough to justify the cost. I probably should have cleaned it myself in the bathtub and bought some acid free tissue and boxes (Container Store).

I live in Northern Virginia and went there too (Imperial Gown Restoration). They were very nice, but it was ungodly expensive ($600). My dress was not cheap and it had been stained at the reception so I couldn't have just sold or donated it as is. It is silk with delicate hand embroidery and beading so I really didn't trust a regular drycleaner. Also a sentimental choice as I do not see handing it down to anyone, but you never know. If you do, then it would definitely be worth it.

[misshollygolightly]

I went with a local drycleaner. They did a great job, and the cost wasn't unreasonable (you might check your phone book or a local wedding vendor guide for coupons...lots of cleaners in larger cities run "specials" periodically on dress preservation, especially in the big wedding months like June). Anyway, the drycleaners explained to me that they clean the dress well, then carefully pack it in special acid-free materials (the box, tissue paper, etc.). I can open it up anytime I like, but should repack it carefully in the same materials. As I understand it, taking it out frequently might cause it to yellow sooner, but the preservative properties are in the packing materials, not like sprayed into the dress or anything.

[hellokitty]

Yes, I sent mine away to the wedding gown preservation company. They did a nice job. I have to admit though, that I wouldn't have shelled out that $ if it wasn't for the fact that I got to send my dress away at a big discount. At the time I was a DBS representative, so I was in the wedding gown biz.