Home Rosica News Preserving your Wedding Gown or Restoring a Family Heirloom?

Preserving your Wedding Gown or Restoring a Family Heirloom?

SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS—AND ANSWERS—THAT EVERY BRIDE NEEDS TO KNOW

Your big day has come and gone but a lifetime of memories begins as soon as you review the wedding photographs. Your bridal gown—selected painstakingly to reflect your personal style and taste—should also be given the care it deserves to live on, not only in your memories, but for future generations as well.

Hallak Cleaners, one of the leading couture cleaners in the United States and a specialist in the preservation and restoration of bridal gowns, has compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help brides understand the complex, yet necessary gown preservation process. As members of American Wedding Gown Specialists, Hallak Cleaners stands behind its work with a lifetime guarantee.

Here are answers to some of the most frequent questions Hallak Cleaners is asked regarding wedding gown cleaning and preservation:

Q: What does the process consist of?
A: Wedding gown preservation is a three-part process that ensures your gown is there for future generations. Essentially it consists of professional cleaning, hand finishing and museum quality storage and preservation. Our procedure incorporates methods used by museums such as the Smithsonian Institution when preserving historic garments.

Q: My dress is extremely delicate. Will Hallak Cleaners be able to take care of the fine beading and lace that covers my gown?
A: The first step in the cleaning process is thorough inspection. We test all of the gown’s trim for strength and durability and examine your gown for loose materials, which is all repaired before the gown is cleaned. Unique and distinctive fabrics, laces, embroideries and appliqués require special care, as do pearls, beads, sequins and droplets. Our seamstresses and tailors are trained to handle a wide assortment of repairs, from torn hems to ripped seams and lace. We always advise our clients ahead of time if a major repair is needed.

Q: How will spots on my delicate wedding gown be cared for?
A: Spotting specialists carefully pre-treat stains before gently cleaning your gown. After it is cleaned, we treat it with a trademarked anti-sugar process trademarked which helps to prevent sugar stains, such as those from wine or cake, from yellowing over the years. Other common stains that we frequently treat come from other foods, grass, mud, blood, tar and grease.

Q: How long will it take?
A: Normally, the entire process is completed three to four weeks from the time we receive your gown.

Q: How will my gown be stored?
A: After cleaning, every wedding gown is hand-finished to perfection following the designer’s line and drape. Only truly dedicated and experienced artisans have the ability to properly hand-finish a wedding gown. After this process is completed, the gown undergoes rigorous inspection, storage and preservation procedures before being carefully folded and positioned. Then, the finest museum-quality box available is used to provide archival protection.

Q: How do I begin the process?
A: The most important thing to remember is to begin the cleaning process as soon as possible after the wedding. You can bring your gown in person to our retail locations (in Manhattan and Hackensack, NJ), or we can arrange pick-up at your home or place of business if you are in the vicinity of our delivery service. If you are outside our delivery area, you can ship your gown to us by FedEx or UPS. When your gown is fully cleaned and inspected, we will ship it back to you in a specially designed box we provide for storage. Return shipping of your gown is free.

For more than half a century, Hallak Cleaners has served a discriminating customer base and clientele with extraordinary fabric care for fine garments. Specializing in cleaning and preserving wedding and other fine gowns, the company is recognized worldwide as one of the industry’s leading couture cleaners. Hallak Cleaners has retail locations on New York’s Upper East Side and in Hackensack, NJ. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.hallakcleaners.com or call Barbara Moss at (201) 843-5600.

Public Relations Contact: Rosica Strategic Public Relations