Do’s & Don’ts of Storing a Wedding Dress

Editor of Hitched.co.uk (Francesca Cribb) has kindly posted an article on the “Do’s and Don’t s of Storing your wedding dress.” It is under Plan with Fran and the link is as follows:

Fran bought a wedding dress box from us recently, so she is now delighted to tell brides about our boxes!

The Do’s and Don’ts on Storing and Protecting your Wedding Dress Forever

After my wedding I decided to have my beautiful dress dry cleaned, but didn’t buy a box for it until two weeks ago. I searched online and even bought a cheap plastic box from the supermarket to put my dress into. Struggling to squeeze it in, I decided to spend a bit of money in order to protect one of the most special memories of my wedding.

I bought my box from The Empty Box Company (www.emptybox.co.uk), who specialise in gorgeous, sturdy boxes, decorated beautifully, to house every type, size and style of wedding dress.

I caught up with the Director of The Empty Box Company, Giselle Hulme, who shared her advice on how best to store your precious wedding gown, after your wedding day and beyond.

Do’s

~ Do you have your wedding dress cleaned after returning from your honeymoon. Choose a company that specialise in wedding dress cleaning so that they know what to look for in terms of marks and stains.

~ Follow simple, but sensible rules such as keeping your dress away from light, damp, or heat.

~ Be sure to store your wedding dress in a dry room that has no history of insects.

~ Ensure the wedding dress is surrounded by acid free tissue and lies in PH neutral surroundings such as a wedding dress box.

~ A wedding dress box should eliminate light, should not be plastic so that it can breathe and should protect from dirt, spillage, dust.

~ Choose a sturdy box for your wedding dress that should last a life time.

~ Find a box that you really like as it will be in your house forever and will protect one of the most beautiful items of clothing you’ll ever own.

~ Once your dress has been packed away, check it every 6 to 12 months, just to make sure nothing has happened. You should also re-pack the dress once a year to help prevent any creasing from becoming permanent.

***TOP TIP*** Consider putting dry cleaning and the cost of a wedding dress box onto your overall wedding budget

Don’ts

~ Plastic dress covers do not allow for changes in humidity and don’t protect clothing from the light too well so they are not suitable for long term storage.

~ A regular cardboard or fabric box may contain acid that may cause your wedding dress to discolour over time.

~ Don’t store your wedding dress next to the wood of a wardrobe, suitcase lining, other clothes or drawers as these mediums will have an effect on the purer fabrics that the wedding dress has been designed with.

~ Don’t wrap your wedding dress in coloured tissue paper. Only use white, acid free paper.

~ Hanging your wedding dress on a hanger may place stress on the seams, mis-shaping your dress in the long run.

~ Don’t store your wedding dress in the loft or attic. You may experience a leaking roof, dampness, changes in humidity, and small insects or animals may affect the dress, even if it’s well protected.

The Empty Box Company have some stunning patterns which include a new range from Cath Kidston – ideal for the bride planning a vintage wedding!

For further information on wedding dress boxes, or to order a box for your beautiful gown, visit www.emptybox.co.uk.

Have you thought about what you’ll do with your wedding dress after your big day?

Fran x