Gown Preservation question...

[Lorelei528]

Hi everybody!

Who has gotten their gown preserved and can I ask you how much it cost? I just called the salon where I bought my dress and was quoted $350!
I think they are also going to try to replace a few beads that have fallen off the skirt of the dress (small, kind of tiny missing beads that came off and I didnt' realize until after the wedding)
The dress only cost about $1000, so it seems like a lot, but I have no frame of reference for this.

Can anybody help me out with thoughts, experiences, opinions etc.?

 

[DznyGal]

Carolyn Allens charged me $233.24 (tax included) and I believe that was with $20 off for using them to steam my gown.

This just included the cleaning and preservation of the dress I don't believe it was for any repairs.

 

[kcampbell]

I had my gown cleaned and preserved. Carolyn Allen's picked it up and then they send it to the Wedding Gown Preservation Co. (www.gownpreservation.com). I'm not sure if they do repairs as well, but they have a customer service hotline that you can call. They also feature 2 or 3 different lines of preservation depending on your gown's fabric and what you want so it's nice they offer the option.

They did an excellent job cleaning my gown. I had candle wax on my train, lipstick on the front, and the bottom was BLACK as night with filth and dirt and now it is as gorgeous as the day I got it.

 

[Lorelei528]

I had my gown cleaned and preserved. Carolyn Allen's picked it up and then they send it to the Wedding Gown Preservation Co. (www.gownpreservation.com). If I remember correctly for me the insurance on the dress was way more than the actual cleaning and preserving. (they base it off the cost of your dress) I'm not sure if they do repairs as well, but they have a customer service hotline that you can call. They also feature 2 different lines of cleaning depending on your gown's fabric and what you want so it's nice they offer the option.

They did an excellent job cleaning my gown. I had candle wax on my train, lipstick on the front, and the bottom was BLACK as night with filth and dirt and now it is as gorgeous as the day I got it.

hmmm....I might just call them. I could always bring the dress back down with me to WDW in Sept and have them pick it up from hotel...

Did yours cost around the same as DznyGal at $233ish?


ETA: Well, I just did a quick cost-up on Carolyn Allen's website and it was $250 (I'm thinking that if I ask I might get the $20 off from the steaming)...of course, this is without any bead replacement but I don't think that would cost another $100. I have to check to see how many beads are actually missing I guess...
There's also a couple of dry cleaners in my area who us Wedding Gown Preservation, so I may call and ask them how much they charge...

 

[Lorelei528]

Ok, so I just called one of the cleaners near my house and was told $175+ depending upon the dress....so I'm thinking since my dress has no crinoline and does not have a huge skirt it might pay to bring it there instead.

I'm going to bring it in next weekend and show it to them and see what they quote me. I can't believe they are basically saying it could be 1/2 of what the bridal salon told me! I guess it pays to do some research!

I'm still not sure about how much the repairs would cost me, but it it is in fact only $175-200 for the dress I think I could maybe get the repairs done for even less than what Carolyn Allen's would cost me....maybe.....

 

[DznyGal]

Ok, so I just called one of the cleaners near my house and was told $175+ depending upon the dress....so I'm thinking since my dress has no crinoline and does not have a huge skirt it might pay to bring it there instead.

I'm going to bring it in next weekend and show it to them and see what they quote me. I can't believe they are basically saying it could be 1/2 of what the bridal salon told me! I guess it pays to do some research!

I'm still not sure about how much the repairs would cost me, but it it is in fact only $175-200 for the dress I think I could maybe get the repairs done for even less than what Carolyn Allen's would cost me....maybe.....

When I asked Carolyn Allen's about it I was told the cleaning is the most expensive part, so for just a cleaning it was almost as much as the cleaning and preservation. Now he also said you can do the cleaning with out preservation, but not a preservation without a cleaning.

Good Luck, that would be great if you could get it done for as little as $175!

 

[lurkyloo]

I'm going to bring it in next weekend and show it to them and see what they quote me. I can't believe they are basically saying it could be 1/2 of what the bridal salon told me! I guess it pays to do some research!

Have you read "Bridal Bargains"? Most gown preservation is a scam. It's one thing to charge to actually clean the dress, but often the preservation places don't let you see it between cleaning and "preservation" and then tell you that if you open the preservation box you'll void their warranty. Meanwhile, they just did a regular dry cleaning (or didn't clean it at all!) and stuck it in a box of dubious origin. (Is it entirely acid-free? Or just coated with acid-free paper? If it has any images printed on it, the ink will eventually leach through the cardboard.)

I did some research on gown preservation and found out that many museums use polyethylene plastic containers and acid-free tissue to preserve historical clothing. After I got my gown dry cleaned, I wrapped it in acid-free tissue and stuck it in a polyethylene storage tub. You're supposed to check it for mold, insects, etc. every 6 months, but I've been too lazy so far... I'll let you know how it goes in another few decades!

 

[kcampbell]

hmmm....I might just call them. I could always bring the dress back down with me to WDW in Sept and have them pick it up from hotel...

Did yours cost around the same as DznyGal at $233ish?


ETA: Well, I just did a quick cost-up on Carolyn Allen's website and it was $250 (I'm thinking that if I ask I might get the $20 off from the steaming)...of course, this is without any bead replacement but I don't think that would cost another $100. I have to check to see how many beads are actually missing I guess...
There's also a couple of dry cleaners in my area who us Wedding Gown Preservation, so I may call and ask them how much they charge...

For some reason I think I got the down payment of the floral preservation and the cost of the gown preservation mixed up. (dollar-wise) I'm sorry about that...I think I was misleading. I investigated through my stuff a little bit and I purchased the celebrity line and had to calculate in 2800 more than what was already included in insurance. I think it was $250-$275ish for the actual cleaning/preserving and another $100 for the additional insurance. (Plus shipping so we paid around $400 total)

Sounds to me like you've found a great deal locally. I would definitely ask them for referrals first though just to be on the safe side.

(Oh and it didn't void my warranty by opening the box to be sure it was fully cleaned. But, definitely take Carrie's suggestion into consideration too and do what is best for you!)