Your wedding dress is one of the most memorable, and the most expensive item of clothing you've ever bought.  What you do with your dress after the wedding will be indicative of your new life.  In nearly every case, you will want to have your gown cleaned and preserved.  A gown that is dirty will only have problems over time, attracting insects or forming permanent stains.  Even a gown that looks clean can have unseen stains that will show up over time – like the sugars in champagne and 7-up.  The next question is how to keep the dress after it has been cleaned.    

Choose the best container for storing your dress.

Many brides are interested in their family history and will want to keep their gowns as a family heirloom, and perhaps someday a younger sister, friend, daughter, or grand-daughter will wear it.  Those brides are better off putting the gown in a sturdy preservation box.  Corrugated boxes provide physical protection for the gown, as well as humidity control, and protection from insects, and smoke from fires.  Although they are an enclosed space, corrugated boxes breathe which helps to keep a stable atmosphere for your gown. 

Other brides follow a family tradition of turning the wedding gown into a Christening gown when their first child is born.  In this case, and in the case of the bride that plans on selling or donating their dress, a preservation bag kit is a better choice.  These muslin garment bags, designed hold wedding gowns for a shorter period of time than the box does.  They will help with keeping dust, spores, and light away from the dress.  The muslin will help with humidity control.  These Preservation bag kits are also designed for keeping the dress looking good if it is purchased well before the wedding.

Where to store your wedding dress.

1. *  Once the dress is in a box or bag, it still needs to be stored properly. 

2. *  Protect your dress from direct sunlight, which can quickly fade and turn the dress yellow.

3. *  Don't store your gown in an attic, a garage, a basement or cellar, as temperatures and/or humidity in these areas can become extreme.

4. *  Do store your gown under a bed, in a dark, inside closet.  Preferably on the first floor.

Take good care of your bridal gown; it will pay, whether you delight another, unknown bride, or it becomes part of your family history, either worn by another bride, or as a Christening gown.