Traveling with Your Wedding Gown

Whether you are headed half way around the world or just to the next town, you want your gown to look fresh and unwrinkled for the ceremony. Here are some tips to help you and your gown travel safely!

Traveling by Car
Since most shops protect your gown with a garment bag and stuff it with a bust form plus lots of tissue to keep the gown from being crushed white it is in the bag, the most your gown should need is a quick fix. If you do not have a bag, stuff the bodice with as much tissue as possible and buffer the folds of the gown's skirt with more tissue. Use one large sheet (fitted sheet works best) to cover the front of the gown and another to cover the back and then pin the sheets together.
Hang the gown so the bodice is facing the car door, and the bust form and tissue will protect the bodice from wrinkling. Lay the rest of the gown across the back seat.

Traveling by Ship
Pretty much the same advice applies to water travel because you can carry you gown with you on board. And if you're getting married at sea, most cruise lines offer pressing services!

Traveling by Plane
There was a time when you could carry the gown with you and hang it in a storage cabin. Today most airlines insist you check your gown with your other luggage so unless your gown is very informal you will need a large box or an extra suitcase to protect it. Call your airline for details.

Packaging at the Bridal Salon
You could ask the bridal salon to pack the gown for you, but the salon may not have a box that is large enough. Gowns are often shipped to the salon in very small boxes, and press out the creases is one of the amenities offered by full-service shops.

Packing at a Gown Specialist
Or you could also ask a professional who specializes in gown cleaning and preservation to prepare your gown for shipping. Janet Davis Cleaners is experienced in packing gowns and has boxes with shipping cartons on hand.

Packing at Home
If you pack the gown yourself, use a large box about one-third the length of the front of your gown.
Line the box with tissue and lay the gown over it – face down. Make sure you have the gown centered in the box and that the part that is face down is spread flat so there are no creases or folds.
Beginning at the side seams, fold the skit length-wise over bunched tissue until the skirt is no wider than the box.
Then add more tissue and fold the top of the gown over into the box.
Add still more tissue and fold the top of the gown over into the box. The top of the gown will now be facing up. The top of the gown will now be facing up. Think of your gown as you doing the impossible: lying on your stomach with your legs folded over backwards while your head and shoulders are lying on top of your legs – facing up!
Now use still more tissue to stuff the bodice and cushion anything else such as bows or sleeves that should be protected. When you are finished, the dress should not move or “dance,” as the Spanish say, even if you shake the box. Save the dancing for the wedding day!

Quick Fixes for Pesky Wrinkles
Hang your gown on the bathroom door, turn the shower to hot, close the door, and let the shower run until the room is filled with steam, which relaxes most wrinkles.
Invest in a portable hand steamer you can use whenever you travel. Guard against spotting water-sensitive fabrics such as silk by wrapping the head of the steamer in a small towel.

Professional Pressing
Of course, the easiest solution to the wrinkle problem is to have your gown professionally pressed once you arrive at your destination.
If you need help finding someone, try visiting www.WeddingGownSpecialists.com/locator.htm for a recommendation.

After the Wedding
No need to worry about wrinkles after the wedding, but if you get married on the beach, do let your gown dry out before you pack to go home!

For more information on Janet Davis Cleaners wedding gown services, please visit http://www.janetdaviscleaners.com/ or call 248.543.0340.

Amelia Casablanca Dress

This is an Amelia Casablanca wedding gown that we cleaned. These pictures of the dress were taken just before it went home to its owner (in fact you can see the garment bag ready to be zipped around the dress). She was thrilled when she picked it up. Unfortunatly I don't have any clear before shots available.



This dress required a lot of individual attention. All of the visible details had to be covered or removed, and then replaced and uncovered after cleaning. Also, the hoops inside had to be carefully removed and replaced.

Beach Wedding

Here are some before pictures of a wedding gown we cleaned from a bride who was married on a beach. She was able to keep most of the gown pretty clean, except for the bottom. The sand and dirt managed their way into all of the layers of the dress. The middle layer was somewhat protected
by the other two layers (Scroll down to see the after pictures).



Here you can see how the dress turned out after our unique cleaning process. This wedding gown is going to be preserved but I took a couple of pictures while we were waiting for the bride to come and view it before we pack it into the preservation chest.

Wedding Gown Restoration

This dress was brought to us 13 years after the bride wore it, celebrated in it, and after a guest spilled a drink on it. She told us that she was, "only getting married once, so why get it preserved?" It turns out that her sister is now getting married and thinks this is the perfect gown and wants to wear it at her own nuptials.

You can see yellowing on the lace in the middle section and along the bottom. At the bottom you can also see dirt on the hem picked up from the ground on the day the gown was worn.

On the right you can see the gown after our work was completed. The entire dress was restored to its original color including the beading. The coloring is now even and the dress is pressed and ready to be worn.

In the picture below, you can see the bottom of the gown. All of the dirt on the hem has been removed along with any discoloration.