I hate to admit this, but I'm ADDICTED to ALL the "Real Housewives" shows. You name it, New Jersey, New York, Orange County, Atlanta...if it's on, I'm either watching or DVRing. Recently, I was watching an episode of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," and in the background of one of the ladies' homes is what looked like a giant wedding dress encased in glass and on display like the family room was actually an exhibit in a museum. It was beautiful, perfect, and most importantly, forever! Then, jealousy instantly kicked in. My wedding dress is hanging in the plastic garment bag on the inside of our spare room's closet, and has STILL never been cleaned...and it's almost two and a half years later!
So I got curious and did a little web surfing. There are some VERY swanky companies in New York City that will treat your gown like a celebrity, but who can really get up to NYC? But there are more affordable options as well. You're looking at anywhere between $200 and $1,000 to contact one of these companies, and have them send you complete instructions and a box to load your valuables in. You basically send whatever you want preserved (dress, veil, garter, etc.) to their headquarters, where they'll steam and repair anything for you and then box it up nice and pretty for your display and enjoyment. There are a couple of concerns, however. Like what if you mail your dress off and never get it back? I'm also not a HUGE fan of the boxes they encase them in. A fancy glass case seems a lot more professional than a cardboard box with pink trim or a company's brand name plastered all across the top, but what's the alternative? A garment bag in the back bedroom? Paying thousands of dollars to get it done the NYC or LA way? I'm thinking I already know what I'm going to ask the hubby for for Christmas, and would say it's definitely worth considering! Just check out a couple of the links below:
http://www.myweddinggownpreservation.com/
http://www.gownpreservation.com/
Please feel free to share any experiences you may have had with dress preservation, or any alternatives!
