Wedding Gown Preservation

The vows have been spoken. The cake has been cut. The guest have gone home. The wedding is officially over. And one question that every bride asks themselves remains: "What do I do with the dress now?"




Now, if you have no intention of passing your gown to your kids or holding on to it for a keepsake, you have a couple options. First, sell it in a consignment store. Second, you can "trash the dress." Some jump into the ocean, others have a paintball war. Lastly, you can donate it. There is probably some friend or family that would cherish getting to wear your gown. There is also a program called The Angel Gown which takes donated wedding gowns and turns them into gowns for babies that have passed away. You can donate to Adorned in Grace- a bridal store where proceeds from every sale are used for the awareness and prevention of sex trafficking as well as crisis prevention for survivors. Brides Across America lets you donate your wedding gown to military and first responders for their wedding. Brides Against Breast Cancer sells donated gowns to support their mission of early detection, awareness, and education to stop the development of breast cancer and save lives. 




Most brides choose to hold on to their gowns. Some to reminisce. Some for future children or grandchildren. And some like me, threw it in the back of the closet and haven't thought about it since. You can take your wedding gown to the cleaners after your big day (we can recommend a couple if you would like) and it will cost you about $200-300 for them to clean it.




Or you can bring it to us (even if you didn't get your dress with us) and we can send it to Wedding Gown Preservation Company for you. They have been cleaning and preserving wedding gowns for more than a century so they really know their stuff. Each gown is evaluated upon its arrival and the best cleaning process for that particular gown is used. All of their processes are safe, gentle and environmentally safe. They are able to remove approximately 95% of all stains – including tar, blood, perspiration, grass, mud, grease, and food.




It typically takes about 8 weeks to get it back and it costs $250. So, if it is the same price as taking it to a dry cleaner, why is this a better way to go? Well, first of all, this is ALL they do. They are experts in wedding gowns and fabrics. Secondly (and most importantly), in addition to cleaning the gown, the also preserve it. This is a process in which your gown is fitted on an acid-free bust form and packed in their acid-neutral preservation chest. This is an air tight box (with a see through panel so you can still admire your gown) that keeps your gown from turning yellow. AND they guarantee their work!

And did we mention this box fits neatly in the back of your closet or under your bed? #winning