Moving is stressful enough without worrying about your precious wedding dress getting damaged in the process. Whether you’re heading across town or across the country, here’s how to make sure your gown arrives safely at your new place.
Clean Your Dress
Before you pack up your dress, get it cleaned. Trust me on this one. Even if your dress looks clean, it probably has invisible stains from your wedding day, a bit of champagne here, some makeup there, maybe even some cake frosting. During a move, these hidden stains can set permanently, especially when your dress gets warm or humid in a moving truck.
Take your dress to a cleaner who specifically knows wedding dresses, not just any dry cleaner. Bridal gown dry cleaning experts know how to handle delicate fabrics and beadwork without damaging them. Yes, it costs more than regular dry cleaning, but it’s worth it to protect your investment.
While you’re at it, check for any loose beads, sequins, or small tears and get them fixed. Small problems can become big ones during a move.
Don’t Use Regular Moving Boxes
Please don’t stick your wedding dress in a regular cardboard box with your other stuff! Regular boxes contain acids that can yellow your dress over time. Instead, buy an acid-free wedding dress box, you can find them online or at bridal shops.
Also, ditch the plastic dry cleaner bags. They seem protective, but they actually trap moisture and can give off chemicals that harm fabric. The only exception is if you have a special archival-quality plastic bag specifically designed for wedding dresses.
How to Pack the Dress
Find a clean, flat surface, maybe your bed covered with a clean sheet, and spread out your dress completely.
First, stuff the bodice with white, acid-free tissue paper (not colored gift tissue or newspaper). This helps the dress keep its shape. If your dress has sleeves, gently stuff those too.
When you fold your dress, avoid sharp creases. Instead, create soft curves and put tissue paper between every fold to prevent fabric-on-fabric contact. This stops creases from setting in and keeps beading from snagging on delicate fabric.
For dresses with lots of beading or sequins, add extra tissue around these areas so the decorations don’t leave impressions on other parts of the dress.
Place the dress in the box with the bodice on top and the skirt folded underneath. Fill empty spaces with more tissue paper so the dress doesn’t shift around, but don’t stuff it so full that the dress gets squished.
Different Dresses Need Different Approaches
If you have a big ball gown with a puffy skirt, you might need a special hanging box instead of a flat one. These let the skirt hang more naturally with fewer folds.
For dresses with long trains, don’t fold the train back on itself; this can create stubborn creases. Instead, gently fold it in an accordion pattern with tissue between each layer.
If your dress is heavily beaded, add an extra layer of protection by wrapping it in a white cotton sheet before putting it in the box.
For vintage dresses that are already delicate, consider talking to someone who specializes in antique textiles for personalized advice.
Keep Your Dress With You If Possible
Ideally, your dress should travel with you in your car, not in the moving truck. Moving trucks can get extremely hot or cold, which is terrible for fabric and can even melt glues used in dress construction.
If you’re driving, put the dress box on your backseat rather than in the trunk. Secure it with a seatbelt if possible. Whatever you do, don’t leave it in a hot car for hours!
If you have to fly with your dress, call the airline ahead of time. Many airlines will let you bring your wedding dress as a carry-on or even hang it in a closet on board, especially if you ask nicely in advance.
Unpacking in Your New Home
When you arrive at your new place, don’t rush to unpack your dress right away. Let the box sit in your new home for a day so the dress can adjust to the temperature, especially if you’ve moved from a cold place to a warm one or vice versa. This prevents condensation from forming on the fabric.
Unpack your dress on a clean surface and check it over for any new damage. Minor wrinkles will usually relax when the dress is hung up, but if you find serious creases, you might need professional help to remove them.
Storing Your Dress in Your New Home
Now that you’ve safely moved your dress, find a good spot to keep it in your new home. Avoid attics, basements, and garages; these places have too many temperature swings and can get damp.
Choose a closet on your main floor, away from heaters, air conditioners, and outside walls. If you’re hanging your dress, use a padded hanger to support the weight and cover it with a cotton garment bag that lets the fabric breathe while keeping dust away.
Or, if you’re storing it in the box, put it somewhere flat where other items won’t be stacked on top of it.
Moving is a big life change, and taking care of your wedding dress during this transition means you’ll preserve those special memories for years to come. With a little extra care, your dress will look just as beautiful in your new home as it did on your wedding day.