Gown Preservation
Besides your groom, and perhaps your engagement ring your Wedding Gown is one of your most precious and carefully chosen possessions for this glorious and happy occasion. The Professionals at Golden Hangers offer the following tips for taking care of stains and the cleaning process:
The Cleaning Process
Golden Hangers will carefully inspect and prepare your bridal gown before cleaning. We check for spots, age, wear areas, any and all needed repairs; loose buttons or beads, open seams, tears, damaged zippers, etc., anything that should be fixed. Beads and other trims are tested for "clean-ability". Some things should be done before cleaning, like removing or reinforcing & covering buttons, so they don't become damaged during cleaning. Your gown is then professionally spotted and gently cleaned alone in crystal-clear solution for a brief period. It's checked again, and if necessary, its post spotted, and then skillfully hand finished. Any other finishing touches, like re-sewing buttons or trims, more repairs, etc., are done at this time. We then perform another complete inspection of your gown to insure that it is in perfect shape and ready for long-term storage.
Your gown is cushioned with a special acid-free tissue to help maintain the designers' delicate design and carefully folded, wrapped in 100% acid free tissue paper before it's placed in a museum quality acid-free storage box.
The museum quality storage box is sealed and wrapped with airtight plastic, which allows viewing of the gown. Oxygen is then purged and the preservation box is infused with nitrogen to create an enhanced protective environment which further guards against oxidation and assures moisture control. The gown is guaranteed not to age or yellow while in the Museum Quality durable long-term storage chest, preserving the gown for future generations.
Prior to Your Ceremony
Plan to have your gown and veil professionally steamed/pressed. Excellent professional dry cleaners will offer to do this for you as part of the care of your gown.
Strong considerations should be given to what you wish to have happen with your gown after the wedding. Whatever your desires for the future, your investment in your gown and its professional care, cleaning and storage should be near the top of your list of things to do before, during and after the wedding.
Perhaps you wish to make it a keepsake, perhaps you hope to have your own daughter wear your gown on her wedding day, and we've seen preserved gowns remade into gorgeous and cherished Christening gowns for children and grandchildren.
Storing Your Gown
Remove extra padding, metal hooks and buttons which can rust and discolor over time. These notions can be stored in separate packaging along with your gown.
Protect your gown investment by storing it in acid-free paper and unbleached muslin protective wraps.
Store your gown, folded and packaged flat in a restorative quality box. All the fabric stress typically caused by the dress's weight on a hanger is eliminated when stored this way.
Freshly cleaned and wrapped in protective covers, your gown should be stored in a safe, temperature controlled room. Under the bed in your guest room is one great place to store your cleaned and preserved gown. Extreme temperatures of attics and basements can cause great harm to your gown.