Brides and grooms make many decisions when planning their big day. What happens once the vows have been exchanged, the cake has been cut, and the guests have headed home? Newlyweds may find themselves with a lot of extra “stuff.” If this is the case, the couple will need to decide how to store everything leftover after the nuptials. To help make this process easier, here are a few top tips for wedding storage:
Storing & Preserving Your Wedding Dress
Because of the delicate nature of wedding dresses, proper preservation is important. You can risk yellow fabric, oxidation spots, mildew, and permanently creased fabric if you toss it in a cardboard box. Dresses can be an investment, so purchasing an additional preservation kit is advantageous. These kits typically include special garment cleaning and an airtight box for packing the dress. After packing the dress, you can store the box in a dark, cool place, such as a climate controlled storage unit.
An extra tip? If you decide to store the dress yourself, make sure you avoid storing it in an everyday zip-up plastic bag. Over time, storage in a plastic bag can lead to unsightly discoloration.
Different Ways to Store Your Bouquet
There are many options a bride can choose from when deciding what to do with their wedding bouquet. Some opt to display their bouquet. A popular technique is to press the flowers. Lay your flowers between wax paper pieces and then place them inside the pages of a heavy book. After a week, the flowers should be dried and flat. The dried flowers can then be placed in a decorative frame.
For those looking for a short-term display option, dip the best leftover blooms in warm paraffin wax. The wax will help to extend the life of your flowers. Place your bouquet in a vase and enjoy it for up to six months.
For the bride who prefers to store the bouquet, hang it upside down to dry and then delicately pack the bouquet in a box. The same can be done for a boutonniere or corsage. Professional flower preservationists are also available and will use special drying techniques to keep the flowers looking like they did at your wedding.
Packing Up Your Wedding Shoes
If you do not plan on getting another wear out of your wedding shoes, clean them before storing them away. Wipe the shoes’ insides out with a dry cloth, remove access dirt from the soles, and place a shoe tree or acid-free tissue paper inside to maintain each shoe’s shape.
If your heels were specially dyed, contact the wedding boutique for maintenance tips. Once the footwear is clean, you can place the shoes in their own archival box. Store your shoes in the same cool, dry, and dark place that you will store your dress or suit.
Cleaning & Storing Your Suit
Suits typically do not require the same level of attention that bridal dresses do; however, there are preferable storage methods. Hang your jacket on a wooden hanger with rounded edges so that the shoulders’ shape stays intact. The suit can then be placed into a cloth garment bag and hung in a cool, dry place. Like dresses, your suit should be professionally dry cleaned (as soon after the event as possible) before putting it in storage. Butler Luxury has even more tips and insight on how to clean and store suits.
Multiple Options for Storing Wedding Photos
Many photographers are now opting to deliver digital wedding photos versus physical prints. Digital images need to be stored, too! Transfer your digital photos to an external hard drive or a USB stick. Prefer to leverage cloud storage? Cloud storage is reasonably priced and easy to access, so choose a cloud system, such as iCloud or Amazon Drive, and save your files there.
Couples may choose to print their favorite snapshots from the day, and to help ensure these prints remain in good condition, begin by selecting a high-quality wedding album. It is recommended that you choose an album that contains acid-free paper. Self-adhesive photo albums are also useful, as they hold photos directly on the page without the need for photo glue or mounting corners. Mounting corners are an excellent addition that will help give your album a formal or vintage flair.
If you want to store your photos in an attic, basement, or storage unit, place the album in an archival-safe plastic bag. The bagged album can also be kept in an archival box made from acid-free material. Write your wedding date on the box’s nameplate, and you’ll be able to identify its contents quickly.
Store Your Cake, So It’s Ready for Your One-Year Anniversary
It is a tradition to indulge in a piece of wedding cake on your first anniversary, but is there a way to help better preserve it? Martha Stewart Wedding suggests chilling your cake in the refrigerator before wrapping it for the freezer. Once it is properly chilled, wrap the cake in plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the cake’s surface. Next, wrap it two more times in foil. When placing it into the freezer, be aware of what you’re already storing in your freezer. If you’re storing aromatic foods, like fish, it is best to check that they’re also adequately wrapped. You do not want the odor of other items permeating your cake.
Wedding Storage for Extra Presents
Did you receive a lot of presents at your wedding shower? You might need extra wedding storage for just those items! A climate controlled storage unit from Prime Storage is an excellent place for the new appliances and knick-knacks you do not need to use yet. Take a look at our latest blog post on organizing a new storage unit to find out ways to store all of your gifts.
Your wedding is a day that you will never forget, so store your keepsakes with care so that you can revisit them whenever you are feeling nostalgic. For more information on self storage and to determine what storage unit you’ll need after your wedding day, visit Prime Storage on the web and locate a facility near you! Our team of storage experts will assist you with choosing a storage unit and moving your belongings into that space!
