Can't I just leave my dress in the garment bag after my wedding?

The very simple answer to this very good question is, "NO!" And, the follow up question usually is, "But, I'm never going to wear it again, so what does it matter?" In a day and age where it is so easy to resell things (Craigslist - be very careful with this avenue!!!; Facebook Wedding Pages; pre-owned wedding dress sites; ebay, etc.), it is very important to both clean and preserve your wedding gown.

Some of you may have gasped at the thought of selling your wedding gown, but believe me, it happens all of the time. It may have taken you forever to choose one, or perhaps you have known for years which gown you were going to wear when you walked down that aisle. Truth is, things change, and one day you may decide that you don't want it anymore or you come to the realization that your future daughter just may not want to wear your gown on her own wedding day. Crazy, right??

Here are a couple of reasons to clean and preserve your gown as soon as possible:

Oxidation of stains, seen and unseen. Your dress may have noticeable stains from food or make-up, spray tans, or the hemline may be soiled. Your dress may look clean to you, but don’t be fooled, spills from alcoholic beverages or even clear soda may dry clear, but may oxidize with time, turn brown and become more difficult to remove later. Body perspiration may cause the dress lining to turn brittle over time. Your dress needs to be cleaned in order to keep it in the best condition possible.
Plastic fumes: Gowns kept in plastic gown bags are exposed to the most harmful environment possible: plastic fumes. Most plastic gives off chemical fumes that cause the yellowing of bridal gowns. Some brides take the initiative to get their dress cleaned, but still leave their gown in the dry-cleaner’s plastic wrap or garment bag.

Weddings are expensive and I realize that after your wedding day, the last thing you want to think about is spending more money on your wedding gown, but it really is so important. Consider adding your wedding gown preservation to your registry, or perhaps ask your bridesmaids to gift it to you at your bachelorette party.

Timeless Memories by MJ is an authorized vendor for The Wedding Gown Preservation Company, which has been cleaning and preserving gowns for over 100 years, thus their 100 year guarantee. You really can't beat that!

Take advantage of my Beat the Heat Summer Special going on right now through August 31, 2016 and take $25 off your cleaning and preservation. That's $175 total with delivery direct to your door!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Until next time,