Wedding Dress Selection Tips

There are many factors to consider when choosing a bridal gown. Most brides are concerned about price and style. But you may also consider choosing a wedding gown that will not only look beautiful on your wedding day, but for long afterwards.

Perhaps you hope that a sister or a daughter will wear your wedding dress someday. But, even if your gown is not worn again, it will be a treasured keepsake for you and your children if properly selected and cared for.

Keep in mind the following factors when selecting your wedding gown:

• Some fabrics are very delicate and snag easily. Other fabrics are very durable and can even be wet cleaned.

• If you are planning an outdoor wedding where there will be a chance of mud, slivers from wooden decks, and or grass stains, you may want to consider a polyester dress of a stable weave, like polyester bridal satin, that can be wet cleaned. Delicate and/or sheer fabrics may not hold up as well to outdoor activities. Silk, rayon and acetate all need to be dry-cleaned, and mud and other outdoor messes may not come completely out of your white dress.

• Silk and nylon fabrics have a tendency to yellow more than other fabrics. Nylon can be wet-cleaned, so a whitener may be able to remove some yellowing for future use.

• Preserving your gown right away after a wedding will help protect your gown from yellowing and/or other deterioration.