Speaking of sample sales, it’s important to remember that when you buy a wedding dress at a sample sale, the first thing you do with it is send it to a gown preservationist/cleaner. 

While some dry cleaners – where you take sweaters, slacks and other everyday items – will tell you that they clean wedding dresses, don’t trust them unless you know someone who has used them and they were happy with the outcome.

A gown preservationist/cleaner has a lot of experience handling gowns made with delicate fabrics and adorned with a lot of beading or embroidery.  The salon where you bought the dress will be able to recommend a gown cleaner they work with.

Once you send your gown to be cleaned, get the estimated delivery date (about 3-4 weeks) and schedule an appointment with a seamstress for alterations.  You should ask the salon for recommendations.

When you go for your dress fittings, remember to bring a few different bras with you and the shoes you want to wear with the dress.  The seamstress will not be able to fix your hemline if you’re not wearing shoes.  And standing on your tippy toes will not give her an accurate measurement.

You may also want to bring along a friend or relative and a camera so you can add pictures of your first dress fitting to your wedding scrapbook.

One gown cleaner, who works nationally, that I recommend is Hallak Cleaners.  Though based in the New York area, brides across the country have been shipping their dresses to Hallak for years because of their excellent reputation at cleaning (and preserving) wedding gowns.  Click here to visit their website and get a free price quote. 

Whichever company you decide to use, remember that before the wedding you only want to have the gown cleaned.  After the wedding you want to have it preserved.