​​​​After spending countless hours and dollars searching for the perfect dress to wear on your wedding day, it’s only fair to give your gown a happily-ever-after too, right? Whether it’s because of the way it made you feel on your wedding day or the possibility of passing it down to your daughter or another family member in the future, preserving your wedding dress is the best way to maintain it’s color, fabric, and shape.

​WHAT IS GOWN PRESERVATION?

​This is a special cleaning and packaging technique used to ensure your gown retains its beauty. A professional preservationist will inspect your gown: the materials, embellishments, and various stains, then formulate a specialized cleaning procedure. After cleaning, your gown is wrapped in acid-free tissue paper and placed in a museum-quality archival box.

​IT'S ALL ABOUT TIMING

​“Cleaning your gown is the single most important part of the preservation process and all the stains, including the hidden ones containing sugar that turn brown over time, must be removed,” says Sally Lorensen Conant, the executive director of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists. You can usually wait until after the honeymoon to take your dress to a preservationist, but remember it’s better to take your gown in while the stains are fresh and not set in (especially if it’s stained with mud or red wine). “The longer you delay, the less likely all stains can be removed, and if you wait years, your gown will need restoration rather than just cleaning,” warns Conant. 

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