Preserving the Timeless Beauty of Your Wedding Dress
Enchanting fabrics, delicate lace, and meticulous craftsmanship court every bride during her search to find the perfect dress. Select designers reign supreme, creating garments that become reflections of family bonds and future dreams. Those including Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, and Carolina Herrera consistently redefine bridal elegance with their intricate detailing, luxurious fabrics, and unparalleled artistry. Each gown is a masterpiece, a canvas upon which the couple’s hopes are painted in silk, satin, and lace, and Sudsies believes just as much consideration should be placed on what happens with it after the wedding as how beautiful it makes you feel during.
The Post-Wedding Care of Your Cherished Piece
The emotional value of these timeless pieces cannot be overlooked during the planning stage; the memories of that day become as significant to the dress as its sweetheart neckline, its royal length train, or its mermaid silhouette. Professional care of the dress after the wedding can determine whether it becomes a treasured family heirloom or a piece damaged in the shuffle of busy lives.
For post-wedding care, consider these vital steps:
Plan. Many wedding planners forget the importance of the gown’s aftercare. They’ve busied themselves with the pre-event details and even planned the honeymoon down to the very last bottle of champagne. Talk to your planner in the beginning planning stages to make sure your dress is considered as a top priority.
Transport. One of the best things you do for your dress after stepping out of it is to immediately hang and cover it with the same garment bag you used to transport it to your venue. The longer you wait, the more likely oxidation and sunlight will damage the dress. Next, designate an entrusted friend, family member, or your wedding planner to pick up the dress and arrange for it to be cleaned and preserved. If you use a full-service cleaner like Sudsies, they can pick up and transport your dress for you — carefully handling all the details while you relax and enjoy your honeymoon.
Clean. It is very important to select a dry cleaner that is knowledgeable in the care and preservation of delicate, high-end fabrics. Not all cleaners have the level of experience it takes to properly handle such valuable items. In fact, many cleaners send these types of items to Sudsies because they know the care and attention it will receive there. The dress should be cleaned as soon as possible to ensure it can be inherited by future generations.
- Stains and soils picked up from foods, drinks, and foliage can alter the composition of the fabric over time and make it much more difficult to preserve.
- Certain components such as reflective beads are beautiful to look at but can oxidize more quickly and become discolored unless they are properly treated.
- Silk and other natural fibers also can break down and become discolored without proper preservation and treatment.
Store. To extend the longevity of your heirloom dress, store it in a box meant for protecting fabrics against changes in light and heat. Keep the box upright and in a climate controlled room of your home. Attics and basements can experience dramatic temperature and humidity changes and therefore are not ideal to store luxury garments. Open the box annually to check the garment, but avoid touching it without gloves as the oils on your hands can also contribute to the breakdown of certain fabrics.
The Importance of Preservation: Keeping Memories Alive
Wedding dress preservation is more than just a practical measure; it’s a commitment to keeping the magic of your special day alive for generations to come. Daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and cherished friends can inherit the dress or it can remain in the family as a beautiful keepsake. Either way, proper preservation ensures your dress withstands the test of time.
Here are some notable facts about Sudsies and the work it has done to preserve bridal pieces during the past decades:
- Sudsies has cleaned more than 456 wedding dresses during the past three years.
- Wedding dress brands cared for at Sudsies include but are not limited to: Morgan Le Fay, John Galliano, Vera Wang, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino, Monique Lhuillier, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Donatella Versace, Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen, and Givenchy.
- The oldest wedding dress Sudsies has cared for was (NOTE: I reached out to Omarys our bridal specialist and will update once I have number)___ years old.
- A dedicated seamstress is available at every Sudsies location. If your dress sustained any damage during your wedding, Sudsies can repair it.
- With five full-service boutiques and 50 vans, Sudsies can pick up, repair, clean, and return your dress while you enjoy your honeymoon.
- Your wedding dress is as important to Sudsies as the environment; Sudsies is the most eco-friendly dry cleaner in the state of Florida.
