What is Wedding Gown Preservation?

Few things are as cherished as a wedding gown. After the wedding, most brides will choose to preserve their dress as a keepsake, with the hope of passing it down to a daughter or close family friend.

In order to preserve it properly, the gown must first be professionally cleaned. While a gown may not appear soiled, it is bound to be soiled to some degree by perspiration and body oils. Some stains that may not be immediately visible will oxidize with age, quite possibly causing fabric weakness, discoloration, and irreversible damage to the gown.

After professional cleaning, proper packaging is critical. Traditional wedding gown boxes do not protect or guarantee against oxidation and yellowing of the gown. You should seek out a cleaner that uses a packaging system that will control oxygen and humidity. The cleaner should offer a lifetime guarantee against oxidation and yellowing.

In order to control humidity, the cleaner should hermetically seal your gown in an acidfree inner box. The oxygen should be removed from the box and replaced with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, to make oxidation virtually impossible. The box should have a viewing window and be secured with an air-tight seal.

Finally, the inner box should be placed inside a heavy duty cardboard outer storage box for added safety.