Simone’s Wedding Gown Story
by Simone Ithier My fiancé proposed to me in Ireland June 15, 2016. I actually found the dress’ designer, Anna Campbell, on Pinterest. I fell in love with her gowns. A week after we got back I did some research on where I could find her dresses since she is out of Australia. There’s a lovely little boutique in one of the neighborhoods of Chicago called Alice in Ivory. It was the only place in Chicago that had her dresses. I tried on 3 of Anna Campbell’s gowns and fell in love with my dress, the Annabella. It was the 2nd one I tried on. The simple elegance of the skirt with...
Read MoreJenna’s wedding dress story
by Cynthia Jackson, Jenna’s mother Jenna Jackson Morris wore this Judd Waddell “Jasmine” gown for her wedding on August 20th, 2016 at Champion Hills Club in Hendersonville, North Carolina in an outdoor ceremony. It was purchased from Bridals By Lori in Atlanta, GA. Jenna had a very specific idea of how she wanted the dress to look, so she had Tina at Queens Alterations (Atlanta, GA) add lace straps and create the low “V” shape in the back of the dress. It turned out perfectly! Want to read more wedding gown stories? Read them here. Feel free to share...
Read MoreWho Should Clean My Gown? – Kimberly’s Story
by Kimberly H. I bought my wedding dress at David’s Bridal. The only reason I went to David’s Bridal is because they were the only bridal store that sold petite wedding gowns. The designer is Oleg Cassini — Jacqueline Kennedy’s designer. I always loved the way she dressed: classic, elegant and sophisticated. I loved this dress after I tried it on. After my wedding, I Googled dry cleaners in Charlotte, North Carolina and surrounding areas to have my dress cleaned. Heritage Garment Preservation came up — and it was even recommended by The Knot! — but I...
Read More57 Years of Marriage Later – Pat’s Wedding Gown Story
“I received my gown and it is beautiful!! Looks like new! Thank you so much for your expertise! Thank you again!” – Pat Parmer by Pat Parmer On April 7, 1957, at First Baptist Church in Pinckneyville, Illinois, I married my high school sweetheart Robert Parmer. He was between Great Lakes Boot Camp and his first duty station in Norman, Oklahoma. Perfect timing for a wedding! My mom and I sewed furiously on my gown. We bought the material in St. Louis for about $40. She was an excellent seamstress and would cut the skirt sections and I would pin them together and give them...
Read MoreVera Wang Transformation: Before and After
This beautiful silk and lace Vera Wang Luxe is the perfect wedding dress for the beautiful and dainty bride. Unfortunately, after a long wedding day and a dry cleaning attempt gone wrong (oh no!!), this beautiful dress was looking a little worse for wear. The delicate gown suffered from makeup stains, sweat stains, and a severely dirty hemline (with who knows what on it!) when it arrived at Heritage Garment Preservation. But it was no match for our hand-cleaning treatment! BEFORE AFTER The delicate fabrics that made up the Vera Wang wedding dress were in good hands at...
Read More4 Wedding Registry Alternatives
Setting up a wedding registry is a fairly universal aspect of wedding planning. Wedding registries can be set up in almost any store for any number of items. Usually wedding registries allow couples to get whatever it is they need for their future home and life together. Traditional Wedding Registries The couples’ perspectives of setting up a registry usually range between two opinions: “Yay! Other people can pay for the boring stuff and we can get exactly what we want!” and “I wish we could just ask for cash!” Most wedding guests react one of two ways to a...
Read MoreBrooke’s Wedding Dress Story
by Brooke I bought my dress unexpectedly at David’s Bridal. It was my first time dress shopping and I had scheduled an appointment to try on dresses there just to get an idea of the styles I liked. I thought I was safe from falling in love with a dress that day because I never imagined myself in a David’s Bridal dress… Boy was I wrong. I tired on a dress and loved the elegant simplicity. It was classic. After initially leaving the store without the dress, I ended up returning that night to purchase it. This dress has special meaning to me because my mother-in-law is...
Read MoreHow To Wear Vintage Without Looking Out-of-Style
If you take the time to dig around in your local thrift store or your grandmother’s closet you’ll inevitably find some great vintage pieces. And while clothing goes in and out of style all the time, vintage is always in style. Dressing “vintage” is a catch-all way to say you didn’t just hit up the mall yesterday for today’s outfit — you’re brave enough to experiment with old clothing styles to create one of your own. While some people pull off the vintage look seamlessly, it can be intimidating — how do you dress vintage without just...
Read More107-Year-Old Dress Comes Back to Life!
We loved learning about the unique history of Cathy L.’s dress as we restored it for her. We hope bringing the dress itself back to life brings its history back with it. Thanks, Cathy! Viola May Howard wore this dress on her wedding day to Joseph Des Lauriers in the year 1910. Viola’s dress during restoration Viola’s daughter Rosa wore the same dress on her wedding day to Thomas Logan in June 1944. The dress was restored to the same condition it was in the first time it was worn — in 1910! Viola’s daughter Marcia also wore it on her wedding day to...
Read MoreBeautiful Gown, Beautiful Cause
by Sarah S. I wore my dress on September 6, 2015 at our outdoor wedding in upper Michigan. I bought my gown in NYC at The Bridal Garden which is a non-profit organization that donates proceeds to education for disadvantaged kids in NY. They often receive donated gowns from designer sample sales and I was lucky to find this Pronovias gown for my big day. I was with my friend, Jessica, on our annual trip there and flew it back on the plane with me (we lived in Orlando at the time). Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Sarah! Want to read more wedding gown stories? Read...
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Wedding Gown Care, Heirloom Garments & Newlywed Tips
Customer Reviews
It's Worth It
By Desirae
After much research and even more hesitation, I boxed up my wedding gown and shipped it off to Heritage Garment Preservation. .. I just received my dress back in the mail a few days ago. Lovely, just lovely. My dress looks amazing. Believe me when I say you should put your trust in this company, they know what they're doing when it comes to your most prized (garment) possession.