If you are looking to your own wedding gown preservation, then acid free paper is a requirement. You must stuff the bodice of the wedding gown, and any other garment that you are preserving with acid free tissue paper

There is more than just one kind of acid free paper. The kind needed for preservations is lignin free. It is also soft and very thin. It’s softness makes it perfect to wrap delicate items or to place between photographs. The soft paper avoids scratching and abrasions during storage.

If you wish to use acid free paper to store a wedding gown you will also need an acid free preservation chest. You must first line this chest with the tissue. Stuff the sleeves of the gown using rolled up acid free paper. An acid free bust form covered with the tissue should also be used. An alternate method would be to stuff the bodice with wadded up tissue. You will then lay the gown face down in the box with much of it hanging out the sides.

Then you insert flat tissue to pad the folds and protect them from creasing. Next, you then carefully fold the train into the box while layering tissue paper into the folds and between the layers.

You then arrange the bodice in the box so that it looks natural. Any fancy parts should be situated so that they show. Stuff the sleeves to highlight any beading or appliqus and lay them over the bodice.

In order to keep the gown from moving around in the box it will be necessary to wad up additional paper and place it between the gown and the edges of the box. You may also use muslin for this purpose. Congratulations! You have now protected your gown and you may store it safely. Tyvek wedding gown preservation bags are available if you don’t want to store your gown in a box.

Sam has been professionally preserving wedding gowns for over 20 years. Come visit his website to learn more about acid free paper and wedding gown preservation.