Your wedding is one of the most special days of your life. At the time of your wedding, you probably aren’t thinking about your future daughters walking down the aisle, but maybe you should. Preserving your wedding dress may be something you already want to do for yourself, just to keep the memory alive. But if you want to give the wedding dress to someone down the road, then there are a few steps and precautions you should take now.
- Clean the Dress First
Preserving your dress will all be for naught if you open it 20 years from now and find the fabric stained. Even if you can’t see it now, small or invisible staining can become worse while your dress is in storage. For instance, any spots that contain sugar will turn brown over time. It’s best to have it professionally cleaned (at a place you trust) before getting down to the storage business.
- Fold the Gown Carefully
The key word here is: carefully. Your wedding dress will be sitting this way for a long, long time, so if you fold it in the wrong places, your daughter may end up wearing a giant crease down her torso. Wrap the sleeves under the bodice, fold the back over the skirt, and then wrap the skirt up over the bodice so that the only folds which appear are on the seams.
- Use Acid-Free Tissue Paper
Placing a layer of tissue paper between each fold of the dress will prevent the fabric from touching, which is especially important if your gown features beads, sequins, or any other scratchy materials. The tissue paper will keep each section of the gown separate and as perfect as the day you wore it yourself.
- Wrap the Entire Gown in Muslin
This material accounts for extra protection while the dress is in storage. Make sure to use a swatch of muslin that is unbleached, so as not to damage the color of the dress over time. Muslin is the piece of the process that keeps your gown from yellowing, so it is very important!
- Place your Dress in a Large Box
Many brides think that hanging a dress in a garment bag is the best way to store it, but the truth is that the safest way is to fold it up, lay it flat, and keep it in a large enough box. Plastic materials can cause yellowing of the fabric, and they can also leave your gown smelling musty.
- Store Your Dress Somewhere Safe
A safe, dry space with little light is best. A self-storage facility can accommodate these goals much better than your own home (where you will probably often disrupt the dress while moving things around).
