How to Properly Store Your Wedding Dress

Recently, I was visiting a friend of mine, and she was showing me a newly built closet in her bedroom. Inside the closet, I spotted her wedding dress hanging up. It didn’t look like it was in too bad of shape. Yet it could have looked much better. I remember the special day she wore it ten years ago when it was a beautiful white dress with yards of lace. Now, it had an off-white, rather yellowish shade to it.

Wedding dresses can be hung up to be stored, but there are some steps you must take besides just putting it on a hanger and sticking it in the closet. For instance, it must be cleaned right away after the wedding. Depending on the material it’s made of, the dress will need to be either laundered in a washing machine or dry cleaned by a professional. Normally, silks, acetates, rayons, and wool materials require professional dry cleaning. Check the care label that’s sewn inside the garment to find out for sure.

Stains that aren’t removed from your dress right away will ultimately become permanent. Even if you were careful and didn’t dribble champagne on the front of your wedding dress at the reception, it could still have perspiration stains under the arms. Not to mention the oil from your skin.

Once the dress has been cleaned, it should immediately be properly stored. If you choose to store it in a box, you should purchase one that is specially made.
That means, that the box is constructed from cardboard that’s made from acid-free materials. The box should also be solid cardboard and not have a clear plastic window in it either. Check with your local dry cleaner to see if they carry this type of box. If they don’t, you can order them from the Internet.

The reason the box shouldn’t have a clear plastic window in it is twofold. One, a clear plastic window will let light shine in on your wedding gown. Light exposure can cause fading and discoloration of the material. And two, plastic can’t allow air in. Therefore, it tends to trap wetness and moisture. Moisture can cause mold and mildew to grow.

Before you place the garment inside the cardboard box, place acid-free, white tissue paper inside. Colored tissue paper isn’t a good idea because the color can fade onto your garment. Make sure that all four sides of the box are completely lined with the paper.

Then- and you might need a helper for this step- begin to place your wedding dress in the box by beginning at the hem end. Place the hem in the box, and then add a layer of tissue paper. Fold your dress over once, and add some more white tissue paper. Repeat this process until you reach the bodice. Place some tissue paper inside each sleeve. Fold each sleeve over, with more paper in between the sleeves and the dress material.

Finally, place a layer of paper over the top of your wedding dress. Then, place the lid on the bottom of the box.

If you want to hang your dress up instead, you should use a “dress shaper.” A shaper can be inserted inside the dress. It should be made from acid-free cardboard just like the storage box and the tissue paper.

First, cover the dress shaper with plenty of tissue paper. Then, place balled-up tissue paper inside the sleeves and the bodice. Use a heavy duty coat hanger to hang your wedding dress up on. Wrap it in clean muslin material before you use it.

Next, carefully hang the garment on the hanger. Cover the entire dress with additional muslin. Then, hang it up in a dark, dry closet away from other clothes that can wrinkle it.