A family member recently asked me for recommendations for storing her wedding gown. I had shared with her how I had my bridal gown preserved. I thought I would share my experience with BridalKare International Bridal Dress Preservation Services here on the blog and talk about the benefits of having your bridal gown preserved.
Why You Should Preserve Your Bridal Gown
Your bridal gown is one of the most precious keepsakes from your wedding day. Think about all that time you spent ideating the perfect dress for your special day, scouring magazines and Pinterest boards, and doing countless try-ons searching for the dress. Not to mention, your gown can be a pricey expenditure for the big day. Having your dress preserved will keep it in perfect condition to be tucked away with treasured items or to be stored to eventually be handed down to loved ones.
Preserving your gown will keep the fabric clean and protect it from dirt, discoloration, and unpleasant odors. It will protect the fabric from rips and tears, as well as protect beading and other embellishments from falling off. Simply using a plastic storage bag or garment bag can wear down the fabric over time and can even cause discoloration and mildew. Also, particularly for a heavy gown, if left on a clothes hanger, the fabric will stretch over time causing it to lose its form and shape.
I had researched online for different bridal gown preservation services and decided to send my gown to BridalKare International.
About BridalKare
Located in New York, BridalKare International is a family-owned and operated dry cleaning business that has been around for over 125 years. They are the go-to bridal gown cleaning and preservation service for hundreds of bridal stores and dry cleaners across the country.
What appealed to me was how the staff at BridalKare takes the time to thoroughly examine your gown, looking for stains, tears, and other flaws. Any imperfections are treated and fixed by hand. They will even use a black light to uncover and treat any hidden stains. The gown care experts at BridalKare use their exclusive 11 Step Bridal Gown Preservation Process. Your gown is carefully examined, spot-treated, individually cleaned (not batch-cleaned), re-inspected, repaired as needed, individually steamed, shaped on a bust form, and then carefully placed into a windowed display box. The box is sealed to protect the contents from any outside elements or moisture. BridalKare stands behind their service and provides a lifetime warranty on your dress preservation should any discoloration, moisture damage, or deterioration occur.
I also loved that you can add up to three items to include in your preservation box. I chose to include my handmade veil and bridal shoes.
How It Works
BridalKare makes the process so simple with easy-to-follow instructions:
Step 1: Place your order online through the BridalKare website and provide your payment information.
Step 2: After your order is processed, you will receive a packet via email which includes: shipping instructions, a prepaid shipping label, an invoice form to complete, and storage instructions.
Step 3: Fill out and sign your invoice. On your invoice, you can select to have additional items included in your preservation box (such as, veil, slip, and other accessories) and opt for additional services to have select items cleaned. You can also opt to have pre-boxed photos of your gown after it has been cleaned and steamed texted or emailed to you for a small fee. It is important to make sure that your invoice is complete and matches the contents of your package so no items or care instructions are missed.
Step 4: Pack your gown (and any additional items) in a box that will fit all of the contents. Be sure to include your completed invoice with your items. Affix the prepaid shipping label to your package and drop the box off at your local UPS store.
After your gown preservation is completed, your gown will be shipped back to you in the carefully packed BridalKare preservation box.
What You Can Expect
Processing time for your bridal gown preservation is roughly 4-6 weeks. (Note that the Summer and Fall seasons are their peak time.)
When your BridalKare preservation box arrives, it will be carefully packed inside of a corrugated outer shipping box. Your bridal gown will be shaped on a bust form inside of a foldover, windowed display box as shown below. The foldover box has a handle for easy handling and portability. On the inside of the foldover cover, you can personalize the box by writing in your names and the date of your special day.
I hope this post was helpful and you will consider preserving your gown from your special day to be treasured and passed down for years to come!
