Your wedding gown is so much more than a dress. For a bride, it signifies many things and memories. Sometimes, even looking at it evokes a lot of emotions. At times, it can be a reminder of all the stress that comes with shopping for a dress and preparing for a wedding. But mostly, it makes you feel great pride and joy from all the happy moments you have had during the ceremony.
Right now, you are probably contemplating if you should have your wedding gown preserved. Since the weddings over, you might be thinking just to hang your dress in your closet and call it a day. While this might be the most convenient thing to do, it is not necessarily ideal. Simply cleaning your dress and storing it like how you would any normal garment would do more harm than good in the long run.
Improper storage of a wedding dress can result in a multitude of issues like a misshapen dress, yellowing of the fabric, mold and mildew growth, etc. The list goes on. Of course, it is understandable if you have a few apprehensions about the preservation of wedding dress. So, if you are still on the fence about it, here are a few benefits that will help you make a decision.
Cost-effective
The most expensive item a bride spends on for a wedding is likely to be her wedding dress. However, one of the biggest concerns couples have relating to preservation is the added expense. Because of this, some brides consider forgoing preservation altogether. It is important to note, though, that dry cleaning a wedding dress is actually a much cheaper alternative compared to how much you will have to spend in a few years’ time once your dress needs to be restored. The average price for preserving a wedding dress is between $250 to $750, while a wedding dress restoration can set you back up to $1000 depending on your dress’s condition.
Additionally, wedding dress preservation comes in packages which are also called kits. These kits already include the cleaning, preservation, and even shipping costs. Therefore, all you need to do is pay, and everything else will be taken care of on your behalf. It is a very convenient, all-in-one service. On top of that, preservationists offer many kinds of packages or kits with different inclusions so you can select one that best fits your needs.
Maintenance
A well-maintained gown can have multiple uses down the line. A lot of brides talk about bequeathing their dresses to future generations. It could be worn by their daughter, daughter-in-law, a family member, or a close friend. Some donate it to charity. There are also others who simply want to keep the dress as a memento. Whatever your reason is, it is undeniable that your wedding dress has great sentimental value.
And just like most things that are important to us, we want it to last forever. This is why I strongly urge brides to preserve wedding dresses. Doing so ensures that the quality and durability of your wedding gown are retained even after many years and gives you a chance to fulfill any long-term plans you may have for your wedding gown.
Increase in value
If you would rather have a more practical use for your dress, you can always choose to sell it. If you plan on putting the dress up for sale soon after your wedding, having it dry-cleaned is enough. However, if you want to hold on to it for a little longer, you should still consider having it preserved. Wedding gown preservation will look just like a brand-new gown and therefore has a higher resale value compared to one that did not.
Eco-friendly
You might say that dry cleaning and preservation are not exactly environment-friendly procedures. This may be true in the past since chemical cleaners that could pollute the ecosystem are being used. However, these processes have become more eco-friendly in recent years. Preservationists have also become more conscious about the environment and have started using sustainable materials.
Aside from all of this, a well-preserved dress that can be used by other brides in the future is definitely good for the environment since it decreases the need for manufacturing new gowns and all the waste that comes with it.
At the end of the day, you know what works best for you, and you still get to decide what you want to do with your dress. If you do choose to skip having your dress preserved, for now, you can always have it taken care of at a later date. There are still lots of packages that cater to dresses that are a few years old. Just a reminder, though, that preserving your dress as soon as possible would still produce better results.
