How to look after wedding dress before the big day – and after

You’ve just picked up your Sabina Motasem wedding dress (squeal!) ready for the big day, but that big day may be days, weeks or even months away – so what's the best way to ensure your dress is picture perfect for that walk down the aisle? Here are our tips on how to store your wedding dress... 

Keep it protected 

Your dress needs to be kept in a woven garment bag to protect the dress, but allowing it to breathe. If you don’t have a garment bag to hand, get an old cotton double or king-size sheet, cut a hole in it and pop that over the hanger. 

If it comes in any plastic covering and you’re storing it for any length of time, it’s best to remove this as it can sometimes cause moisture to get trapped in the dress, which can cause your dress to smell, something you don’t want! 

Hang it up 

The best place to store your wedding dress is in a nice dark wardrobe as this will protect it from light and any nasty smells. If you have a train, take this portion of the dress out so it falls without any folds. This will let any creases out.  

If you’ve picked up your dress months before the big day, it’s a good idea to get the dress out every so often and lay it out flat. However, resist the temptation to wear it before the big day – you don’t want to damage it in any way! 

Get it steamed 

Ideally, it’s a good idea to take your dress to a dry cleaner or somewhere nearby that can steam your dress a couple of days before the big day.  

Looking after your wedding dress on the big day 

Transporting your dress: Make sure that it’s properly covered before you take it outdoors. Rather than shove it in the boot, lay it down on the back seat of the car. The more space you give it, the less it will crease.  

Time to get steamy! If transporting it has caused it to wrinkle, a quick steam with a hand-held device will help make it crease free. We recommend this hand-held steamer. It’s also very handy for steaming your face if you fancy a mini facial before the big day! Just be careful not to place it too close to your face. 

If you don’t have a steamer to hand, fill a bath with boiling water. Take the dress out of any coverings and hang it up somewhere high, shut the door and leave for several hours. We’ve had reports that this technique works really well, with creases falling out due to the steam.   

Be careful when getting dressed: When putting on your dress for the big day, make sure you have a large scarf to put over your head. It might look weird, but it ensures that no make-up gets on your dress. If more make-up is being applied after you’re dressed, use the scarf to drape around you so to avoid any specks of make-up falling on your wedding dress.

Flying with your dress: Many of our brides ask how to transport their dress on flights for a destination wedding. The style of our dresses means they are already easier to transport than the more traditional frou-frou wedding dress, but we do also recommend The Empty Box Company to ensure your dress travels in style! They have a selection of travel wedding boxes – all sized for different airlines – made from recycled materials and available in a variety of pretty prints. It’s also a great way to store your dress after the big day.

How to store your wedding dress after the big day 

Hang it up: Yes, you’re tired after a full day of celebrations, but the first thing you need to do is hang the dress up. This will allow it to air before packing it away. 

Get it cleaned ASAP: If you’re going on honeymoon the next day, get someone else to drop it off to the cleaners. The sooner you get stains out, the better – a red wine stain really can’t wait for two weeks! 

Choose your dry cleaner carefully: Make sure whoever you choose to clean your dress has experience with cleaning bias cut silk wedding dresses. If you want to go eco-friendly, a great option is Oxwash, who won best Sustainable Laundry at the recent 2022 Marie Claire Sustainability Awards. 

Store it correctly: After it’s been cleaned, it’s time to ensure your dress is properly looked after. Ideally, you’ll pack it away into a large box, filled with tissue to help prevent creases. Again, The Empty Box Company is our go-to for this!

Alternatively, hanging it in a dark protected space with a garment cover over the top will help to stop it picking up odours or any moisture. If you want to pass your dress down to your children – or even sell it – make sure you check it regularly to ensure it’s all intact.  

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