A bride spends so much energy shopping for her dress that after the wedding is over she’s often left wondering “Now what do I do with this big, ornate gown?”  The truth is, you have many options, the least of which is to let your dress deteriorate in a wardrobe.

Regardless of what you decide to do with your gown, the first step is to have it cleaned.  Even though you wear it only once, a bridal gown gets amazingly dirty.  Putting off a professional cleaning could ruin your dress for life.  Foods and beverages like cake, chocolate, wine, sauces, and fruits all have sugar in them and a spot with sugar is the worst kind.  Why?  Because sugar caramelizes when it’s exposed to air and heat.  Thus, the longer a sugar spot sits untreated, the darker and more set it gets, until there comes a point when the spot becomes a stain that will never come out.

Protein spots can be problems as well.  If you perspire in your dress (and what bride isn’t a little nervous walking down the aisle), or if you get au jus from your reception dinner prime rib on your sleeve, these stains also become harder to treat with age.  As do smudges resulting from oils in your perfume, make-up and hair products.  And let’s not forget that your hem or train will drag the ground all day collecting dirt faster than a toddler on a playground.
Suffice it to say you should get your bridal gown professionally cleaned immediately even it doesn’t look dirty.  If possible, have someone take it to the cleaners while you’re on your honeymoon, or you can do it when you return, but don’t wait much longer than that.  Be sure use a cleaning service that specializes in wedding dresses (not every cleaner does), and point out any spots you know of when you take the dress in.

But a professional cleaning does not prevent your gown from yellowing or deteriorating over time.  To do that you have to take it to a bridal gown preservation service, where they treat your gown with anti-aging chemicals and then hermetically seal it in an acid-free box, much like museums do with valuable antique clothing. Once the box is sealed you cannot take your dress out, however the front panel is usually clear so you can see that it is in fact your dress.

Once your bridal gown has been professionally cleaned and preserved, be sure to store it in a place where temperatures don’t fluctuate.  Abrupt temperature changes cause gases to build up (even in sealed boxes), which can unevenly change the colour of your dress.  This means avoiding the attic (too hot) or under the house (too damp).  You also don’t want to store your preserved dress in a wardrobe with an exterior wall, as the wall’s insulation may not be enough to protect your dress from seasonal temperatures.

If this sounds like a lot of effort to save a dress you wear only once, well, it is.  That’s why many brides are now donating their used wedding dresses to organizations that auction off bridal gowns to raise money for charity, such as Brides Against Breast Cancer (http://makingmemories.org).  Headquartered in Gresham, Oregon (U.S.A.), BABC accepts gowns from all over the world, and for every one they sell the proceeds go to granting wishes to families touched by breast cancer.  You mail your dress to BABC, but the cost is in lieu of having your dress preserved, so even though you may end up spending a little more in shipping you get the satisfaction of knowing your wedding dress goes on to make a difference in someone else’s life.  And the cost of your dress and shipping are tax deductible.

Regardless of how much money you spend on your wedding dress, the worst thing you can do is just let it hang in your closet after the wedding.  If you plan to use it again someday, or you just want to keep it as a memento, then have it preserved.  If pictures of you wearing it are enough, then donate it to charity (or pass it on to a friend).  In either case, all the energy you put into finding the perfect dress isn’t spent on just a single day.