How to store your wedding dress & dry cleaning afterwards?

We had the pleasure of interviewing one of Australia's highly recommended & Award Winning Wedding Dress Designers, Paddington Weddings.

The topic we really wanted to learn about was, how to store your wedding dress before the wedding, after the wedding, and some dry cleaning tips! Paddington Weddings has all the best tips & answers - thank you! 
 

Before the wedding
 

It really all depends on the wedding dress and how long you will be storing it for.

If the dress is heavy, either due to the fabric such as sequins or it is a very layered gown, you would be better to keep this gown laying flat if possible. Hanging a wedding dress for a long period of time will distort the gown.
 

At Paddington Weddings, we recommend all our brides to wrap your bridal gown in a clean cotton sheet, then laying it on a spare bed if possible.

If the gown is fairly lightweight, we would ensure it is hanging on the correct hang tags, not on the straps. Definitely, do not hang any lace detailing on your hanger and keep it hanging inside a breathable garment bag.




 

Wedding Garment Bags.
 

At Paddington Weddings, every bride will receive a complimentary breathable bag which is suited for wedding gowns specifically.

However, they have advised these garment bags can also be purchased from Spotlight.

Plastic Garment Bags are a big no.
 

Plastic garment bags, are not great for storing wedding dresses over a long period, due to the humidity we get here in Australia.

The bride would be better to purchase a breathable bag or again, wrap it in a clean cotton sheet.

Avoid trying on your dress too many times.

Try to resist trying on the gown too many times, this may damage the gown or make it dirty whilst you are doing this. Also, wherever you are storing your wedding dress, be sure no pets can reach your gown!
 

Dry Cleaning tips.

Paddington Weddings would recommend cleaning your dress soon as possible after the wedding. Especially if you have spilt something in the gown or the ground has been wet which can damage the hem.

Always let your drycleaner know of any spills, even clear liquids as some spills can react with drycleaning fluid and leave additional marks if they are not aware.

Always go to a reputable dry cleaner which specialises in fine fabrics. We have seen many gowns ruined by cleaning, so invest a little more to ensure your dress stays in tip-top shape! 

 

Storing a Wedding Dress in a box?
 

It is best to box your gown after the wedding, if you left your gown hanging for many years, it can start to distort, even the lightweight dresses, so boxing is best!

Your dry cleaner will help with this by wrapping the gown in acid-free paper. This method will help with any discolouration which can happen with delicate fabrics.

Also, you don't want the gown wrapped in plastic or in areas of high humidity as this can cause damage too.

 

Alrighties ladies, so that was a very informative & detailed guide as to how you store your wedding dress, before & after your wedding day. As well as, how to clean your wedding dress!

Thank you to the team at Paddington Weddings for providing this credible & honest advice!