Flower and Dress Preservation

Flowers

There are specialist companies that will arrange for the bridal bouquet to be dried, pressed and mounted, as a permanent reminder and keepsake of the day. If you are planning on preserving your flowers, you will need to look after them well on your wedding day, preferably spraying them with clear water as soon as you arrive at the reception and storing them somewhere cool during the celebrations and overnight.

They should be delivered to the preservation company as quickly as possible after the wedding, which may mean that you will need to delegate this task to someone else if you'll be away on honeymoon. Some companies operate a mail order service, in which case they will advise on how to deliver the flowers to them in good condition. Check with the company concerned well in advance. Drying can take several weeks, so don't expect instant results.

Wedding Dresses

Every wedding dress will eventually deteriorate if not stored properly, and, once discolouration has occurred, it is impossible to remove. After the wedding, the dress should be expertly cleaned, hung in the fresh air for an hour or so to let every remaining trace of dry cleaning fluid evaporate, then placed inside a natural cotton bag which is long enough to take the full length of the dress without creases.

If possible, the dress should be stored flat, inside the cotton bag, but if this is not possible, it may be hung from a well-padded hanger somewhere high enough to prevent it trailing on the floor and with enough space so that it is not crushed. Stored this way, most dresses will be perfectly all right for several months but a more permanent home will be needed eventually, even if only to release much-needed wardrobe space.

Make sure that you inspect your dress on each anniversary to check for any discoloured areas or missed stains and to allow your dress to breathe.