Nuptial Nostalgia

Preserving your dreams BY Pia Hatch

Once you’ve said ‘yes’ to the dress and enjoyed the day of your ‘dream come true,’ what do you do with that precious gown? Some donate or sell their wedding dresses while others repurpose it by turning them into cocktail or party attire. However, many brides choose to preserve their wedding dress. So here are some tips on how to get that right.

TREATMENT PLAN Dry cleaning it won’t do. You need an experienced specialist’s assessment and a unique treatment plan that takes fabric, stitching, embellishments and staining into consideration.

TIMING IS THE KEY The sooner you can get your dress to the cleaners, the better. If you can’t hand your dress to the cleaner the day after your wedding, have someone else carry out that task for you.

PRESERVATION TIPS Invest in an airtight box from which the oxygen has been sucked out and replaced with nitrogen. This prevents ageing and discoloration. It’s recommended that you never break the seal; but if you have to, wear white cotton gloves when handling your dress.

CAREFUL STORAGE Since it’s essential that you protect your dress from direct sunlight, pick a space that’s cool, dark and free from damp. Otherwise you risk a yellowing of the fabric, brown oxidation spots, and mould and mildew, as well as permanent fabric creasing.

SARI EXPOSURE If it’s a sari that you need to store, then keep these tips in mind: to prevent odour, fungal attacks and permanent creasing, take your sari out of storage regularly and give it some exposure to mild sunlight. Then refold it – but never along the same folds as before.
Silk saris should be folded, placed in cotton bags with some silica gel packets and stored in a cool place. For best results, fold heavily embroidered saris with their worked side facing in.

Many brides choose to preserve their wedding dress