So, What’s Your Thoughts On Preserving Your Wedding Dress?

When you hear the word "preservation," what's the first thing that comes to your mind? 

Photo by Oleksii Karavan on Unsplash

You might think something like an artifact kept safely behind glass in a museum, or your years-old couch that’s always covered in plastic, making those funny noises whenever you sit down. 

These items are protected to keep them in perfect condition for as long as possible. 

Similarly, brides choose services for wedding dress preservation for many different reasons, and this decision can have effects both now and in the years to come.

Let's begin with some of the most popular reasons why brides want their wedding dresses professionally cleaned and preserved. 

Reason 1: To Share their Wedding Dress with Future Generations as a Memory

If you leave your wedding dresses untreated even after your wedding is over, the delicate fabrics in your wedding dress begin to turn yellow in less than six months. It usually happens when you buy a silk, chiffon, or taffeta dress. 

There’s no way to avoid this—yellowing happens because the organic fabrics in your wedding dress naturally break down over time. Science at work!

Along with the overall yellowing of the fabric, both visible and invisible stains from your wedding day can become more yellow, eventually turning an ugly brown or black color if not treated right away. 

Invisible stains are usually from makeup, perfume, deodorant, or food and drink like icing and white wine. 

When stains reach the point of becoming brown or black, it’s called “fabric scorching,” and it often leads to permanent fabric damage.

If you’re reading this, it means your wedding dress has already started to yellow. Well, don’t worry! 

When you choose to preserve your wedding dress, you actually bring it back to the way it looked when you walked down the aisle.

Reason 2: You want to Give your Children an Opportunity to Re-wear Your Timeless Wedding Dress

Wearing a vintage wedding dress to honor the memory of a mother or grandmother is a beautiful way to celebrate family traditions. 

A professionally cleaned and preserved wedding gown ensures it remains in perfect condition, ready to be cherished and possibly worn again on another special day.

If the style of a vintage dress isn't quite right, a skilled seamstress can help. They blend modern touches with the classic design, allowing you to add your own personal taste while still paying tribute to your loved one.

Reason 3: You Want to Retain its Value to Sell, Donate, or Consign your Gown in the Future

Many brides choose to have their wedding dress professionally cleaned and preserved so they can keep the option of selling it later. 

Without proper cleaning, the fabric can start to yellow just a few months after the wedding, making it harder to sell. 

Preserving the dress with a trusted service can increase its resale value by up to 80%.

If you're unsure about what to do with your wedding dress after the big day, there are nonprofit organizations that accept donated dresses to help brides in need. 

Photo by Gemali Martinez on Unsplash

These organizations usually require the dress to be professionally cleaned before accepting it. Donating your dress not only helps others but can also be a tax-deductible contribution.

Reason 4: You want Your Future Generations to Re-Purpose your Wedding Dress into Something Special

While it might not be the main reason, some brides choose to have their wedding gowns cleaned and preserved so they can repurpose them into something meaningful later on. 

Keeping the dress clean and well-preserved prevents the whites from yellowing and delicate fabrics from falling apart.

Some brides have turned a family heirloom wedding dress into a baptismal gown for a child, a coin purse for their wedding day, or even incorporated parts of the family dress into their own wedding gown with the help of a skilled tailor.

Your Dress is an Investment and Preserving it Well Can Enhance its Value.

Wedding dresses can cost anywhere from $800 to over $4,500, especially for designer gowns. 

Compared to that investment, the cost of having the dress cleaned and preserved is small. It’s worth it to prevent the dress from becoming yellowed or stained while stored in the closet.
By having your dress cleaned and preserved, a new bride can keep it as a cherished memory of her special day, with the option to wear it again as a tribute to timeless style.