Pre-wedding gown care
By Never teh Bride
You hear a lot about post-wedding gown care, but what about pre-wedding gown care? Let’s say you order the fabulous Saison Blanche Couture gown above. The expected shipping date is four months from now but it arrives four weeks after the date of purchase. How do you keep it clean and stunning without going nuts?
FabricLink suggests that all brides “obtain information, if possible in writing, concerning the proper care of the fabric, as well as all of the trims and embellishments attached to the dress…Be sure to look for the care label in all wedding gowns purchased in the United States. Apparel manufacturers are required by the US Federal Trade Commission to attach a care label in all garments, which provides a viable care method for cleaning all component parts of the garment, including trims.”
When you receive your dress, keep the garment bag it came with if it’s a good fit and allows your dress to breathe. There is no guarantee that you’ll find another bag that is large enough to accommodate your gown. Unfold the gown on a flat, clean space if it was shipped to you. Take a moment to inspect your gown, inside and out, before putting it away. Are there loose beads or threads? You’ll want to make a note of everything you suspect is amiss to take to your seamstress.
Don’t worry about the wrinkles - they’ll be pressed out later. If you decide to hang your gown up, be sure you use those little ribbony things (loops, I believe they are called) so you don’t stretch your straps. However you choose to store your dress, however, be sure that it’s kept away from direct light sources, which can cause fading in the fabric and the embellishments, and anything at all that might get it dirty.
And finally, under no circumstances should you ever use garbage bags or similar bags to store something as precious as a wedding gown. A good friend of mine learned that the hard way, unfortunately. Put your gown in something like this, this, or this.
September 15th, 2006 at 1:09 pm
You must also consider how you’re getting the gown to the venue where you’re going to dress. Before you pack your car with bridesmaids, remember that your dress is going to need the WHOLE back seat to itself.
September 15th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
Quite right, jj! Or, if you’re flying, you’ll need an appropriate garment bag and the time to request that a flight attendant store it in the first class cabin closet.
September 21st, 2006 at 7:16 pm
Neveh, what happened to your friends garbage-bag-stored gown?
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:19 pm
I’m pretty sure it got discolored in places where it touched the plastic. I had a similar thing happen to me with an old prom gown I had
April 24th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
can i know the price for this gown? thanks
April 25th, 2008 at 6:09 am
Just click on the picture or the link in the first paragraph, blue. That will tell you the name of the dress and the company/designer that created it — then do a search for it. Easy-peasy.