A wedding is like a dream come true for every girl. And when we talk about the wedding dress it is a memorable asset to keep even after the wedding is over. The day that presented the girl like some princess or a fairy in the lovely looking wedding dress can always be remembered and cherished. But to preserve those sweet heart-touching memories you will have to preserve well your wedding dress. If you do not know how to do that, we are just here to help you out with that only. Follow these simple steps and get your wedding dress preserved for a lifetime.
Difficulty level: Moderately easy
Time required: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Things needed to preserve your wedding dress:
· Wedding dress
· Wedding veil
· Vacuum cleaner
· A vacuum space saver bag
Procedure to preserve your wedding dress
1. Go and find a good space saver bag from a local store or mall.
2. Clean your wedding dress and the wedding veil
3. When the wedding dress and the veil have completely dried, make good fold to it.
4. Put your wedding dress accompanied by the wedding veil into the big space saver bag.
5. Take off the cap of the hole that is there on the vacuum space saver bag. Put the mouth of the vacuum onto it.
6. Start the suction and remove all of the air.
7. Cap nicely the hole once again.
8. Your wedding dress and the wedding veil have now been preserved for a good long period.
Things to watch out for
· Ensure the wedding dress and the wedding veil are not damp or wet in any case before you put them inside the space saver bag.
· If you have to remove the wedding dress after a period then apply the same procedure to preserve it.
via: ehow
6 Tips to preserve your wedding dress
You have spent limitless hours to select that perfect wedding dress and after putting so much effort and money you will never want your dream gown lying crumpled in your wardrobe. Your wedding gown also needs proper care to preserve it for long and to maintain its serenity and beauty. Here are some tips that can come help you preserve your wedding dress.
Look for a preservationist
You should start looking for a preservationist before your wedding so that you can give your gown for cleaning immediately. If you want you can ask your friends, family members, wedding consultants or bridal shops for referrals in your locality. One should be cautious while selecting a preservationist by checking his track record about cleaning of wedding gowns.
Cleaning methods to preserve your wedding dress
Selecting a cleaning method is the most important step in gown preservation process. Some preservationists use wet cleaning methods wherein they use gentle cleaners to wash gown gently by hand. This helps to remove seen and unseen stains like, sugar and champagne. If these unseen stains are not treated, they will get oxidized and turn yellow over the period of time. There are a few companies use more traditional ways to clean gowns like dry cleaning.
How is it done?
In this method the gown is treated with chemicals. It includes pre-treating the stains with solvents like perchloroethylene (or perc) or petroleum based cleaners. Then, the garment is placed in dry cleaning machine. Petroleum based cleaners are not strong as perc in stain removing; but, as it contains high oil content, it suits some fabrics more giving sheen to the garment.
Proper wrapping and packaging
Selecting the proper wrapping material is also important. You should not use plastic to wrap your dress as it can cause wrinkles and trap moisture which can ruin your dress. Usually unbleached muslin or white acid-free tissue paper is used for wrapping. Don’t use ordinary tissue paper which can also spoil your garment. Even colored tissue paper can also ruin your dress, if the box get wet which will result in staining of your gown.
You should place your gown in pH-neutral or acid free box like sturdy paperboard boxes where your gown can adjust with changing temperatures and have little space to breathe as well. If you want, you can see your dress without opening the box if your box has a small window. In that case you should use acetate and not plastic. Try to keep your box away from direct light, which can fade your fabric over a period of time. You can use boxes which has coroplast which has good durability.
Sealing
There is no need to seal the box if you have packed your garment correctly. While handling the garment, make sure your hands are clean and dry. This helps in the prevention of transferring the body oil being transferred to the gown making it yellow and dull over time. Some brides want to include shoes and other ornaments as well along with the gown. You should first consult your preservationist before doing it for proper guidance.
Maintenance cost to preserve your wedding dress
The cost of preservation depends on the degree of stains, materials and the ornamentation. It can vary from $200 to $400 and can be as high as $800 depending on location and gown type.
Do’s and Don’ts to preserve your wedding dress
Before sending it to cleaning you should not hang your dress on wire hanger or plastic one as it will distort the shape of the gown due to its heavy weight. Instead you should go for padded or plastic hanger.
Don’t pack your dress in plastic as it can trap moisture resulting in spoiling your dress. Also, don’t try to clean stain yourself as these may get set into fabrics permanently. Do not store your dress in damp basement or hot attic. The best place to preserve is in a dry closet or under your bed.