Store as much as you like for as long as you like
Store as much as you like for as long as you like
Weddings are one of the happiest occasions of many people’s lives. It’s a day that will stay vivid in your mind forever, with items from the special day bringing back very special memories. But a long time after the flowers have wilted and the photo album has been put away, your wedding dress remains a wonderful reminder of the unhappy day. But that wedding dress can also cause a dilemma. After all, it can’t just be shoved at the back of the wardrobe for safekeeping! It’s probably the most expensive and delicate item of clothing you own, and you spent hours choosing it, trying it on and getting it fitted. So if you want to preserve it – for nostalgia, to pass on to your children or even to sell, you need to make sure it’s protected. At Blue Box Storage, we see a lot of newlyweds use their storage space as the home for their wedding dress after the big day, so we wanted to share some tips for storing it safely.
Once the glow of the day is over and you’ve returned from your honeymoon, it’s time to address the dress. The first thing you need to do is take a look at the condition it’s in. Hopefully your dress made it through the day without too many wine stains, muddy footprints or food drips, but your first trip should still be the dry cleaner. You will have been in that dress for a while on a very exciting day, and at the very least you will find sweat stains in the underarm area, which can cause permanent discolouration if left. Ideally, you would find a dry cleaner who specialises in wedding dresses and is insured against damage.
When you store your dress, you want to make sure it comes out in the same beautiful condition as it went in. That means protecting it from dust, mildew, insects, discolouration and fading. The best way to do this is by choosing somewhere to keep it after cleaning that is away from the heat, light and damp. Climate controlled storage is perfect for this.
Now that your dress is clean, you need to pack it away securely. You will need to buy a wedding dress storage box that is breathable and pH neutral (but not plastic, as this can let in light and cause condensation and mould). You’ll also need some acid-free or pH neutral paper, which is specifically designed to protect your wedding dress from discolouration and damage. The box also needs to be secure so that insects can’t get in, and be the right size for your dress to fit without getting squashed or creased.
Choose a storage facility that can provide you with enough space to store your dress comfortably, and can provide a stable temperature in the environment, Climate control is a huge plus, but it’s not 100% necessary. The key is to ensure the temperature and light isn’t going to fluctuate too much.
Once you’ve packed and stored your dress, make sure you check on it once a year to make sure it’s all ok and nothing has happened to it. This also helps you remove any creases that have developed and relive the memories of your wedding all over again. It also gives the dress a chance to breathe, and if you spot anything untoward you can deal with it quickly and move it if necessary. You may even be tempted to try it on!
At Blue Box Storage, we love keeping your treasured memories safe and secure from the damages of the world. Our storage spaces come in all shapes and sizes, so you can either store your dress in a larger unit with other belongings or in a locker-sized unit all on its own. Whatever you need, we would love to help. For more information, or to ask our advice, just get in touch for your free quote.