Caring for your Gown
RECEIVING YOUR GOWN
Upon receipt, remove all packaging. Let down the train from the hanger and allow the gown to hang freely in a warm room, away from direct sunlight.
Although we will do our utmost to minimise creasing, this cannot be avoided and some pressing may be required. Press with a cool DRY iron, following the guidelines on your iron for the fabric. Refer to your garment label for fabric fibre content. Do not allow water to touch the fabric, as watermarks will occur from the dispersal of fabric dressings. If watermarks do occur, then dry-cleaning should remove them successfully. Don'ts
1) Do not store long term in plastic dress covers. They are suitable for hanging the dress before a wedding, but not for long-term storage as they: - Let in light that can fade the fabric
- Do not allow for changes in humidity: in extreme cases this can cause condensation and mould
- PVC covers will disintegrate after several years and particles may fall onto the fabric of the dress.
2) Do not store in a normal cardboard box. Unless made with special pH neutral board, all boxes contain acid that passes into the dress fabric causing discolouration/yellowing. 3) Wardrobes, drawers, suitcase linings, colour dyes in clothes, will all have an effect on the purer fabrics of a wedding dress if it lies next to it. It is always best to separate a wedding dress from any other item and to surround it with an acid free medium. 4) NEVER wrap the wedding dress in BLACK tissue paper. All coloured tissue paper contains dye, which will affect the dress. Place the dress in a dark place, and tissue paper should be colourless (natural) and acid free. 5) Although OK short term, don't hang a dress on a hanger long term, to avoid stress on the seams and shape. 6) Never store the dress in the attic. All sorts of disasters such as a leaking roof, general damp, and insects can affect a dress in the attic, even if it is well protected. Do's
1) Do have the dress cleaned, by a dry cleaner who specialises in cleaning wedding dresses. Cleaning removes stains that may show later on and cleaning fluid can be an insect deterrent. 2) Follow simple, sensible rules; store away from light, heat, damp etc. 3) Always store in a pH neutral medium - with tissue paper that is acid free, (tissue paper will BECOME acidic, if in a non acid free box, and would need to be changed regularly). 4) A Wedding Dress Storage Box needs to be sturdy enough to eliminate light, protect from dust and accident, be of a breathable material i.e. not plastic, and be pH neutral i.e. contain no acid or alkali. A box made of heavy board with a fitted lid will protect from insects providing there are no gaps between lid and base. 5) Keep your Wedding Box in a warm, dry spare room that has no history of insects (NOT attic) and insect damage, damp etc. will be totally minimised. 6) Once packed away, check on the dress every 6 months or so to ensure nothing untoward has happened to it, and unpacking the dress repacking e.g. once a year, can help prevent creases becoming too permanent.
Caring for your veil
VEILS
Carefully remove outer packaging and allow your veil to hang for approximately two weeks prior to wearing. This will allow any creasing to drop out naturally. If creasing appears stubborn, or time is limited, try hanging in a humid environment to speed up this process.
Never try to iron or steam your veil. The delicate fabric is made from polyester fibres and will damage very easily with heat.
Never try to use any form of chemical on your veil, as this may shrivel the fabric. Veils with beading attached need to be handled with care, as the beads are glued onto the surface of the fabric and are not guaranteed cleanable. Care must be given when wearing your veil, as the delicate fabric is vulnerable to snagging on items in passing, i.e.: rose bushes, shrubs and children’s feet!! TIP: If wearing your hair down, in order to avoid your veil from slipping through your hair, try forming a knot at the scalp by moving the veil comb in small circular movements close to the hair roots, then pushing the comb downwards and into place.
Caring for your Tiara
Always take special care when handling your tiara. This is a fine piece of jewellery and should always be handled with care.
The wires used to make your tiara do vary. Some are sterling silver or silver or gold plated, and as such may tarnish over time. Always avoid spraying hair products near your tiara, as this can effect the metals and cloud any crystals and diamantes.
Always keep your tiara wrapped in acid free tissue paper and preferably in an air tight box. This will help to prevent the possible discolouration from oxidisation.
I f you tiara has become tarnished over time, some tiara designers do sometimes suggest gently washing you tiara with a very mild liquid soap then rinsing with plenty of cool water before allowing to air dry. Try to avoid linty cloths, such as dusters, as these can clog in the jewellery stones and couse more problems!
If you have any more tips please e mail us your comments!
Caring for your Shoes
Receiving your shoes:
Upon receipt, remove your shoes from their packaging and inspect.
Ensure that you have received the shoes in the correct size as ordered.
Check that the size on the shoes correspond with the size on the box.
Check that you have a left and a right shoe! .
Check that there are no blemishes, marks, scuffs etc, and that you are happy with their appearance.
To try on the shoes:
Wear stockings to ensure that the shoes do not become marked in any way.
Always try on the shoes whilst standing on a carpet, in order to protect the shoes from damage.
Make sure that there is enough room at the end of the toe to allow for a little swelling of the feet. Maybe try to try on in the afternoon, as your feet, if they have a tendency to swell,will have done so.
Walk around in the shoes for a few minutes to check comfort.
If the shoes are a little large, try an insole. This will take up approximately a half size, and will add to your comfort!
For children this is a good idea, as it can lift the foot slightly, lifting the ankle bone clear of te outside rim of the shoe.
Storing your shoes:
Once you are satisfied with your shoes, carefully re-wrap them and place inside the box, away from heat and direct sunlight.
Had your shoes dyed?
If you have had your shoes dyed, you are strongly advised to apply a coat or two of a water-resistant coating. The dyes are usually water-based and will bleed if they come into contact with any moisture - This includes standing on grass, during photo sessions, or the slightest rain drops/drips from hand-washing etc!
After the Wedding:
For more long-term storage of your shoes, make sure that they are dry and clean, re-warp in tissue and place back in the box. Seal the box if possible to avoid insects getting inside!
Store in a cool dry place, away from damp, heat and direct sunlight.
Attics are not considered appropriate places for the storage of such items!
Consider re-dying!
It is possible to send your shoes back to us for re-dying to BLACK, so that you could wear them as evening shoes in the future.
This cxan only be done if you have not used a water proffer on them beforehand. The water proffer will prevent the black dye from penetrating the shoes evenly!
To enquire about this service please call us on 0845 4662266.
Please allow up to 3-4 weeks for this service.
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