How to Care for Your Wedding Dress Before, During, and After the Big Day

Your wedding dress is more than just fabric—it’s one of the most iconic garments you'll ever wear. Treating it with the same love and care that went into choosing it is essential. Here’s your guide to keeping your gown in perfect condition, from the moment you leave the boutique to post-celebration preservation.

Before the Big Day

Your gown has officially arrived—cue the happy dance! To keep it pristine before the big day, we’ll carefully pack it in a garment bag, ready for its journey home after your collection appointment.

Once you’re home, gently unfold the bag and either hang your dress up or lay it flat on a spare bed. If your fiancé is a little too curious, consider a top-secret storage space at a loved one's house. Pro tip: Let the train breathe every now and then! Leaving the bottom of the dress out of the garment bag periodically will help avoid crinkles that can be difficult to steam out, especially if your wedding is still a few months away.

Planning a pre-wedding dress reveal for yourself? If you slip into your gown before the big day, be sure to rehang it using the internal loops to keep the fabric from stretching. You will also need to ensure you are trying your gown on carpet or a rug only - wood and tiles can hold hidden grime! 

If last-minute alterations are on the cards, always transport your dress in the garment bag for extra protection.

Jetting off for a destination wedding? Call your airline in advance to ask about storing your gown in the onboard coat closet or carefully packing it in the overhead compartment. The last thing you want is your dream dress crammed in with your luggage. While we’ll have your gown steamed before your pickup, a quick touch-up with a handheld steamer on the day will keep it looking smooth, fresh, and absolutely flawless. We recommend the Sunbeam Power Steam Hand Held Garment Steamer SG1000.

During the Big Day

It’s happening—you’ve stepped into the dress, and the next few hours are set to be pure magic. To keep your gown looking picture-perfect (literally), stay mindful of potential wedding-day hazards—think dirt, spills, and rogue lipstick smudges. Your wedding coordinator will likely have an emergency kit stocked with safety pins, cleaning wipes, and other quick fixes, just in case. If you don’t have a planner or on-the-day coordinator, no stress—you’ve got your own dream team! Hand this task over to your mum, maid of honour, or that one friend who lives for a well-stocked handbag.

Your maid of honour? She’s your gown’s official hype girl. Have her on train duty during portraits for maximum fluff factor and let her handle bustling before the reception—because no one wants their dress stepped on mid-dance move.

And if your dress picks up a little evidence of celebration—some grass from the portraits, a hint of wine from the toast, or a dusting of dance floor magic—don’t stress. A few marks are simply proof that you lived your best bridal life.

After the Big Day

The confetti has settled, the last toast has been made, and your feet finally get a break from those fabulous heels. Take a moment to soak it all in—you just pulled off the most incredible day! Now, let’s talk about giving your gown the post-wedding TLC it deserves.

Step one: Get that dress to a professional wedding gown cleaner stat. The sooner, the better—because while your dance floor twirls were iconic, those sneaky wine splashes and grass stains? Not so much. A specialist will know exactly how to bring your gown back to its pristine glory.

Step two: Storage is everything. A preservation box lined with acid-free tissue will keep your dress safe from yellowing, ensuring it stays as breathtaking as the day you wore it. Leave it to the experts to work their magic—because this isn’t just a dress, it’s a piece of your love story, wrapped in memories.

Long-Term Care

Just because the wedding day is over doesn’t mean the love story ends—especially when it comes to the dress. Whether you’re preserving it as a cherished keepsake, dreaming of passing it down, or plotting a fabulous repurpose (hello, anniversary look!), your gown will always hold a piece of your big day.

Keep it stored in a safe, dry place, and handle it with care to maintain its magic for years to come. And if you ever decide to transform it into something new? Well, that’s a whole other blog post waiting to happen.

And there you have it—the ultimate guide to keeping your gown looking as unforgettable as the day you said, I do!