I was recently contacted by journalist Carrie Hayward, host of the Disney Wedding Podcast and author of PassPorter's Disney Weddings & Honeymoons. Carrie was excited to interview me on how to care for your wedding gown without being scammed by gown preservation companies. Click here to listen to the Podcast, called How to Preserve Your Wedding Gown.
Where you store your gown is as important as how you store it. Never keep your gown on a hanger or in a garment bag. If you want to preserve your gown for future generations, it needs to be placed in an archival box after it is cleaned. The box should be kept in the part of the house where you are comfortable living—not the basement or attic. It should be in an area where the temperature and relative humidity are stable without the highs and lows that encourage dimensional change and pest activity. A spare closet, or even under a bed, are both good places. Inspect your archival storage box every year for signs of pest activity or mildew—late spring and late summer are good times. If you notice any change in the appearance of your wedding gown, consult a textile conservator. For these and all MTS Handouts and Slideshows, visit the Resources section of our website and follow the link for Individuals.
8 Comments
Linda Jans
8/22/2018 02:59:32 pm
I recently became involved in the operation of a small town museum (very small) where there are a few donated wedding dresses dating back to the early 1900's. At present they are displayed on mannequins through the summer hours but stored away during the winter in large drawers. One of the dresses has an outer layer of silk trimmed with lace & it seems that the weight of this layer is starting to stretch the silk at the seams. As the museum doesn't have access to a conservator we are in need of advice on how to best protect this & the other dresses for the future. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you..........Linda Jans.
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Camille Breeze
8/23/2018 06:59:06 am
Hi Linda,
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Linda Jans
8/29/2018 08:53:37 am
Hi Camille - thanks for getting back to me so quickly and with good advice. I have another question however. As I said earlier, the dresses are stored away in wooden drawers during the winter - as we are in central Alberta, Canada that can be a long time some years - would it be better if we used a polypropylene/cardboard storage box? I understand they can be bought though wedding specialty stores currently in business. If we rotate the dresses on a 4 year basis I'm not sure which storage method would be safer.
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Camille Breeze
8/29/2018 09:16:28 am
Hi Linda,
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Linda Jans
9/2/2018 11:21:00 am
Thank you so much for your help Camille - I appreciate you taking the time to give me advice.
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PrintingShell
1/4/2021 09:36:10 am
Yes, storing the dresses in costume boxes is much better than drawers.
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