10/21/2020

One Wedding Dress, Two Wedding Ceremonies

Since January, I have been invited and then uninvited to two weddings. Under normal circumstances, my feelings would be hurt, but these days there is no such thing as normal circumstances. In both cases, the couples got married in front of less than 20 people and postponed their receptions until a future but yet-to-be-determined date.

If this is your story, take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. In fact, think of the crazy stories you will be able to tell your kids and grandkids. But I am guessing that your mind is so preoccupied with future reception plans that you have not given much thought to your wedding gown, but you should. If you are going to wear it again, you will need to have it cleaned as soon as possible. If you are going to wear something else, you should go ahead and have it preserved as soon as possible.

Wearing Your Wedding Dress a Second Time

• Do your due diligence and choose a certified wedding gown specialist.
• Be sure to have your gown cleaned as soon as possible after your ceremony.
• The longer you wait to clean your gown, the less likely it is that all the stains can be removed.
• Do not place your cleaned gown in one of our plastic poly bags; long-term use of our plastic poly bags will suffocate your gown and possibly cause staining or mildewing problems.
• Instead, place your clean gown in a muslin or Tyvek bag and hang it by the safety loops attached to the inseam.
• Store it in a dark, dry, cool place, like a spare bedroom closet, until you are ready to wear it again.

Preserving Your Original Wedding Gown

• Do your due diligence and choose a certified wedding gown specialist.
• A Cleaner World will inspect, repair, clean, and reinspect your gown before beginning the preservation process. At this point, we encourage you to come inspect your gown.
• Once we receive your approval, we will administer an anti-sugar treatment, layer your gown with acid-free tissue paper, wrap it in freshly laundered muslin, and place it in an acid-free wedding chest.
• Finally, we seal the chest with a pest-proof tape that still allows the gown’s fabric to breathe.

If this unique wedding situation applies to you, stop by one of our locations and speak with the manager. They will be happy to answer your questions and offer assistance.