Washington DC Area Wedding Gown Cleaning, Preservation, & Advice

[Image: Eastport Photography]

A few weeks ago I got a reader email, asking me to do a round-up on Washington, DC area wedding gown cleaners and preservers. Karol had already done a great deal of research finding some places, but I thought I would take it a step further and find some REAL past brides that got their wedding gown cleaned and preserved and share their experiences with you.

First, let’s share a roundup of places in the Washington, DC Metro Area that offer this service:

[icon size=”small” image=”icon-heart”] Imperial Gown Restoration (Silver Spring, MD)
[icon size=”small” image=”icon-heart”] Wedding Gown Specialist (Arlington, VA)
[icon size=”small” image=”icon-heart”] Soliloquy Bridal (wedding gown preservation company authorized dealer )(Herndon, VA)
[icon size=”small” image=”icon-heart”] Gowns Remembered (Crofton, MD)
[icon size=”small” image=”icon-heart”] Parkway Custom Cleaning (Chevy Chase, Md)
[icon size=”small” image=”icon-heart”] Mclean Cleaners (Mclean, VA)
[icon size=”small” image=”icon-heart”] Ellie’s Bridal (Alexandria, VA)

Did we miss one you’d recommend? Leave it in the comments below!

[Image: Marcella Treybig]

Now let’s talk about the ADVICE piece here. Some past brides shared the good, the pricey, and the “why bother” of wedding gown preservation:

The Good.

“I went to the cleaners in my neighborhood, waterfront cleaners…can’t really say if they did a good job bc it is in a HUGE box!”

“I did mine at Old Dominion Cleaners & Shirt Finishers on Lee Highway. It was less than $200 including the box. The box has a velcro flap that lifts up to reveal a window, so I can peek at my dress whenever I want. She even arranged my veil in the window as well.”

“Ellie’s Bridal Boutique offers dress preservation. I can’t remember how much it was but I just dropped my dress off and they sent it away to be boxed up and it came back absolutely beautiful. You can display the dress in the box if you want. Was thinking of hanging it on a wall of my closet.”

The Pricey.

“Parkway Custom Cleaning (Chevy Chase, Md) has the most reviews on this place and most people recommended them however the price range on site says 300 to 700 (wow) and most reviews do mention cost was expensive.”

“I got mine done at McLean Cleaners. They specialize in wedding dresses. It’s crazy packed in this awesome box and preserved. It was pricey, but worth it… you know, if my daughter ever wants to wear it (ha, unlikely!)”

The Why Bother.

“I did my with gownpreservation.com – I found out a lot of the stores use it anyway…”

“Those preservatives are pretty nasty to have on your skin. I never intended to wear my gown again, and I would never save it for a daughter or daughter-in-law to wear, so I donated mine. Keeping wedding gowns around just doesn’t make sense to me, especially for city dwellers where space is at a premium!”

What do you think Romancers!? Is wedding dress preservation for you? Mine is still hanging in my closet … completely un-preserved. I kinda like the faint stains and reminder and of the ROCKIN’ PARTY we had on our wedding day <3 Any other places we missed? Sound off below!