So, you had the wedding of your dreams. Now, how do you go about protecting your precious wedding gown and keeping it in pristine condition?

These “best practices” are for long-term storage (decades), and that the dress will remain in ideal condition should its owner wish it to be worn by another family member and/or passed down to future generations.

* First have the gown cleaned, sterilized and boxed by reputable couture-level dry cleaner or textile preservation specialist: this will prevent discoloration and reduce attraction for pests. This step is assuming that the gown has been worn relatively recently (within the past five years or so). If the gown is much older however, say 10+ years, after assessing the need of the dress, it would likely be best to keep the gown in its current condition as the material becomes weaker over time and more apt to become damaged during the cleaning process.

* Where to store and preserve your dress? Garde Robe’s facilities are ideal because they provide an ideal storage environment for textiles. If storing at home, avoid an attic or basement – store in an area where the temperature will be moderate year round.  

* Stuff sleeves, bodice, and minimize folds; PH neutral, acid-free, unbuffered white tissue ONLY

* You can cover the box with muslin but do not seal it. Use a archival-grade, breathable textile storage box. These are acid-free, pH neutral, will block light, and will enclose the dress without sealing tightly.

* Nitrile gloves are better when handling the gown, as many wedding dresses have beaded/jeweled accents that can snag on the cotton gloves