Your wedding dress should be preserved for a number of reasons. For many

families, the wedding dress is an heirloom that passes from the hands of a

mother to her daughter, or perhaps even a granddaughter. Other families will use

just the preserved fabric to create dresses for their children's important

events, such as communion or their own wedding. Even if it is never worn again,

it is a great memento to cherish and one that should be taken care of.

After the wedding is over, professionally clean and store your dress so that

it will last for years to come. Even though you might not get anything on your

dress, it is still important to send it off to a dry cleaner's. While you may

not notice perspiration stains now, they will become more prominent through the

years.

How you store your dress also makes a big difference. Dresses inside plastic

bags tend to accumulate mildew and hangers can stretch a dress out at the

neckline.

Find a dry cleaner that will place your dress in an airtight box, which will

preserve the delicate material and allow your dress to keep its shape. Be sure

to find a reputable dry cleaner that will do this for you - your carefulness now

will pay off in the long run.