Like many others, you might think that your wedding day is the culmination of all the stress that comes with planning a wedding. It’s done. You can finally relax, right? While this is true for the most part, don’t hop off to your honeymoon just yet. There are still a few loose ends you need to tie up before you go on this long-awaited and well-deserved holiday.  One such thing is wedding dress cleaning and preservation. Most brides would agree that their wedding dress is the best keepsake they have from their wedding. 

After all, you have spent a good amount of time, money, and effort into finding this dress. In addition to that, a well-preserved wedding gown can have lots of uses in the future. The majority of brides plan on passing their dress down to their future daughter or daughter-in-law. Others donate it to charity. You can even wear it to your vow renewal ceremony, should you decide to have one.

The first step to a successful wedding gown preservation lies in making sure the dress is spotless. However, with all the wedding festivities, you can’t avoid getting your gown from getting dirty. This is why it’s essential to plan on how you want your dress to be cleaned after your wedding. Dry cleaning a wedding dress is the commonly used cleaning method for wedding dresses. However, certain fabrics and materials are sensitive to heat and may not fare well if dry-cleaned. If you’re looking to have your dress cleaned after the wedding, here are a few things you should consider.

Know your dress

You should know what type of fabric your dress has since this would help you determine what type of cleaning is best for it. Some materials such as polyester and other synthetic fabrics would do well with hand washing. However, certain fabrics such as certain types of silk should be dry-cleaned only as wet cleaning would damage them. It’s also good practice to check for other materials on your dress like sequins, beads, or glue that might melt off if dry-cleaned.

When in doubt, read the label

Even if you’re not too savvy with fabrics and textiles, there’s no reason to be worried. Preserve wedding dresses, like all other garments, come with a care instruction label. It shows the type of fabric used on the dress, and some even include the fabric’s country of origin. Most importantly, it tells you the proper way to wash the garment in order to maintain its quality.

Choose a well-reputed cleaner

At one point, you have probably thought of just cleaning your wedding dress by yourself since you’ve already gone through all the trouble of researching it. While it’s not a bad thing to clean it DIY style, keep in mind that your wedding dress is a delicate and special garment, which means that it’s better off cleaned by professionals. 

In fact, not all dry cleaners are capable of handling a wedding dress cleaning. There are special dry-cleaning places which specifically clean and preserve wedding gown. If you’re having trouble finding a reputable wedding dress cleaner, the bridal shop where you got your wedding dress from should be able to recommend one to you.

Examine your dress

You won’t know how clean or how dirty your dress really is until after the party. So, inspect your gown before taking it to the cleaners. Make sure to look for the most common marks that can be found on Wedding dress preservation – makeup and lipstick stains. If you had your wedding outdoors, you might find an occasional grass stain, some sand, or soil. Be on the lookout for hardly visible stains, too. These usually come from transparent liquids, just like champagne, soda, and even sweat.

Take note of the stains and dirt you find so you can discuss it with the cleaners. Knowing what caused the stain and where they are located makes the cleaning process much more manageable. Not to mention, a thorough examination would ensure that you don’t miss out on well-hidden blemishes that may oxidize and turn your gorgeous dress yellow over time.