Your gown will spend weeks, sometimes months, between the boutique, your fittings and your wedding day. How it’s stored and handled in that time matters as much as how it’s altered.
Here’s how to keep it perfect.
Hang it by its hanger loops
Most gowns have ribbon loops sewn inside the waist. Use them. They carry the weight of the skirt, so the shoulders, straps and neckline don’t stretch. On a strapless gown, the loops are the only safe way to hang it.
Very heavy or beaded gowns can stretch if they hang for many weeks. Ask us whether yours should be supported differently.
Store it somewhere cool, dark and dry
- Use a breathable garment bag, cotton or fabric, not plastic. Plastic traps moisture and can cause yellowing.
- Keep it out of sunlight. Light can yellow white and ivory fabrics.
- Avoid damp basements and hot attics. Steady temperature and low humidity are best.
- Give it room. A crushed gown creases, and some creases in satin and mikado are hard to remove.
Steaming your gown at home
Most brides steam their gown themselves before the day, and we often suggest it. Never iron a bridal gown, though: direct heat can scorch synthetic fabrics and loosen embellishments that are glued rather than sewn.
Transporting your gown
Keep it in its bag and lay it flat across the back seat, never folded into a trunk. Hang it by its loops as soon as you arrive. Collect it close to the wedding, so it spends as little time travelling and waiting as possible.
Handle it with clean hands
Wash your hands before touching the gown, and skip lotion. At fittings, avoid fresh self-tanner, body oil and heavy makeup. On the day, finish your makeup before you dress, and cover your face with a light scarf if the gown goes on over your head.
Your wedding-day kit
Ask the person helping you to carry:
- safety pins, for a loose bustle point or strap
- a clean white cloth and cold water, for spills
- white chalk, to soften a small mark on white fabric
- tissues and blotting papers
If something spills, blot gently with the white cloth. Don’t rub, and avoid coloured napkins, which can transfer dye. Stain pens can leave a ring on silk and satin, so when in doubt, leave it for a professional cleaner.
Protect your bustle
Bustle points take strain when the train is stepped on. Ask guests to give you room on the dance floor. If a point gives way, a safety pin tucked underneath will hold it until the end of the night. See wedding dress bustles explained.
At your final fitting, we teach the person helping you how to bustle your gown, so you’re both confident on the day. See our bridal alterations.
After the wedding
Have the gown cleaned by a specialist wedding gown cleaner within a few weeks. Spills like champagne can be invisible at first, then turn yellow over time.