How to Heirloom a Wedding Dress

In mainly families, a wedding dress becomes much more than a special piece of clothing worn on a special day. It becomes a part of history and tradition, symbolizing love and family. The gown becomes a treasure that can be passed down to future generations. Heirloom a wedding dress to give the gown meaning that endures. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

1. Make plans to preserve the wedding dress well before the wedding day. Once the wedding day arrives and has passed, it is followed by the absence of the bride on her honeymoon and other chaos such as moves and life changes that come with marriage. Despite the fact that the gown was only worn once and must be pristine, stains from body oil, perspiration and those from food and drink will prevent the gown from aging gracefully by creating permanent stains.

2. Store the dress properly once it has been properly cleaned for preservation. Work with a cleaner who specializes in bridal-gown preservation; this person will be certain to use acid-free tissue paper and boxes to slow the aging process. Store the perfectly-preserved gown in an living area of the bride's home, not an attic, a basement, a trunk, a drawer, or the garage.

3. Keep the boxed dress untouched unless absolutely necessary.

4. Consider different heirloom options available. Some women hold onto their dress with the hope that a daughter will one day wear it. Other options include creating children's christening and communion gowns from the fabric, cutting off or altering the dress to wear for a later formal occasion, or using the fabric to make another item, such as a quilt.

5. Package the dress with a note from the bride with a memoir from her wedding day, including how she hopes the dress may be worn by another family bride in the future.

6. Include information about who should inherit the gown in an estate will or other binding legal document to ensure the dress continues to remain within your family long after you are gone.