If you saw any of the photos of me romping around botanical gardens in Columbus, lava beaches in Hawaii or Swiss alps in Switzerland, you might guess that my dress would be a tad dirty afterward…
You would be right!
I did not bother having the dress cleaned in America before we came home from the wedding because I figured that it would just get dirty again during our trash the dress in Switzerland.
Once the TTD shoot was over and my dress had seen its last hurrah, I hung it up in the middle of my bedroom and for two months I pondered how I shall clean it. I was nervous about simply walking down to the Swiss dry cleaners and dropping off my dress.
Typically this approach of “Don’t ask until the bill comes” is very dangerous here. Some poor friends of mine ordered turkey from a butcher last year and nearly died when they received the $350 bill.
Take New York, for example: dry cleaning a light blazer might cost you around $6. In Zürich it would cost you $16.50. Simple shirts here are $10.50 a piece…you see where I’m going with this?
I’ve heard some horror stories from women in the States paying up to $500 for silk dresses with heavy beading. My dress was made of bordeaux taffeta with lace, flowers and a heck of a lot of beading. How much would that cost in Switzerland? $1000? $1500? I really didn’t want to find out.
I decided I wanted to try and clean it myself, but Mama Funnel Cake was nervous. When we received my dress it had some stains on the underside of the train that Mama Funnel Cake had worked on with Dryel. She wasn’t sure it would do the job, but she sent a Dryel kit home with me when we left for our honeymoon.
In the meantime, I looked up all the “Clean your Wedding Dress” posts I could on Weddingbee and Google. I told Mama Funnel Cake that if worst came to worst, I could cut up the gown and make bridal clutches and sashes out of the materials.
Well, that horrified Mama Funnel Cake. She thought it would be a shame to cut up my beautiful dress, so she wished me lots of luck!
Up next: I take the plunge…or rather, my dress takes the plunge!
*All photos are personal*
Oh, I am so curious to see how this turned out for you! My dress is silk tafetta and has dirt and drink stains all over the bottom. I really don’t want to pay a lot to clean it, but don’t want it to be stained forever.
I don’t understand why it can’t be washed in a washing machine? I would just try and take the stains out with TIDE stick pend or something similar and wash it in a gentle cycle and hang to dry.
I don’t know what scares me the most, cleaning such a delicate dress by myself or paying that terrifying amount of money to get it cleaned.
I wanted to make pillows from my dress, and my mom was equally horrified! Although the dress is clean I still contemplate it 
the ring pillow we’re using for my wedding was made from my MIL’s dress. She kept the dress forever but after her last son was born she decided to make 4 pillows out of it (one for each son and her) We’re not carrying it down the isle but it will be displayed with the guest book.
My dress is filthy (and currently rolled up in a plastic bag…). I’m really curious to see what happens next!
I was wondering what the dress looked like after all of the extra photo shoots! I commend you for being adventurous and trying to clean it yourself. I hope it works!
I haven’t even looked at my dress since the wedding! I would love to see how you cleaned yours!
I can’t wait to see how this turned out! My dress is just sitting in our closet, uncleaned, which I’m sure it terrible.
So I am definitely staying tuned because, like Pony and Dragon, mine is still uncleaned.
I’d love to know how this works. My dress is still hanging in the closet uncleaned, and while it doesn’t have any major stains, it definitely needs to be cleaned at minimum, and preserved at best!
Oh wow it got dirty! In Australia it does cost a lot to get your dress dry cleaned and preserved! I know its old fashioned to think but I want to keep my dress so that one day my daughter may want to use the material for her wedding dress! So yes it will be another wedding cost but I think it will be worth it!
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, Ohio Age and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication Designer Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application Engineer Engagement Date: May 30, 2010 Wedding Date: October 2011 Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatory About Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
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