It’s normal for gently worn sample wedding dresses with embellishments, specifically beads, crystals, sequins, or pearls, to lose some of the beadwork or display stray threads where beads are missing.

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However, this shouldn’t deter you from saying ‘yes’ to the sample wedding gown if you’ve found one that you can’t get out of your mind.

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In this post, we share our best tips to clean and preserve a beaded sample wedding dress. It’ll look brand spanking new and ready to show off as you walk down the aisle!

What Does the Designer Say?

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For beaded wedding gowns (and any gown for that matter) the best place to start when it comes to cleaning and preservation is with the designer's instructions. They’ll direct you on the best methods to maintain the gown without damaging the embellishments.

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For example, it’s common for beaded gowns to be dry cleaned by professionals who have experience hand-washing embellished sample dresses. 

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At One Love, we always recommend Oceanside Cleaners to our Jacksonville brides for thorough and exceptional service!

Easy Does it

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When trying on your dress, stay away from sharp edges that can snag your dress and pull off the beadwork.

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Protect your beaded wedding dress from dust, sunlight, and liquids by keeping it sealed away in a garment bag or box. 

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You might notice missing beads on your sample wedding gown, and that’s perfectly normal. Inquire about an extra packet of beads/threading at your bridal appointment. A lot of times designers will include this with the dress.

Store it Away

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How you store your beaded wedding dress has a major impact on how the beads and dress color will be preserved. 

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We already mentioned keeping it sealed in the garment bag or box, but make sure this is kept out of reach of pets and children. 

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Sunlight can discolor a wedding gown, so look for a cool, dark place such as under a bed or in a closet to hang the dress or lay it flat.

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If traveling, ask your airline about the onboard closet that most planes have for hanging special clothing items. If you’re traveling by car, fold down the backseats and lay the garment bag flat.

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