on gown preservation

coming back from a lengthy honeymoon, i am now faced with the dilemma of post-wedding clean-ups. there are tons of documents that i must sift through to determine which needs to be kept and which goes to the trash bin. being the sentimental person that i am, this will prove to be a very difficult task for me. i have no choice, really, because i do need to start organizing my stuff now, especially if i am to migrate to the land down under.

as i go through my stuff, i realize that the most challenging of all tasks is how to get my gown cleaned and preserved. after posting inquiries for referrals on our e-group, i was directed to seek the services of The Bridal Conservatory. i went to their website and have found their services quite impressive! i immediately emailed them to ask for a quotation of my gown and showed them pictures of it so they could see it for themselves.

their response was immediate but i was quite appalled at the price tag they offered me. twenty five thousand pesos! of course, it included the following: museum-standard cleaning, a bodice mold (a mold simialr to a mannequin), archival packaging, an internal environment monitor, a detailed condition report, and a care instruction sheet. if i wanted to have my accessories packed (pillows, cord, veil, etc), the cost is P950 per bag (Usually one bag is enough daw). Shoe preservation including the same type of cleaning performed on the gown costs P1,200 per pair.

but after all the wedding expenses last month, i don't think we could spare that much this soon. :( i was desperate and eventually found myself texting Veluz if she could refer me to a good supplier. i found out that Ate Beth de Leon, my burdadista, pala offers washing of piña gowns and accessories. You're not supposed to have piña gowns dry cleaned pala. if i remember it right i think Veluz mentioned about using even vinegar for the washing solution. According to Veluz, once it's cleaned, you just need to sprinkle white pepper in between folds to keep the cloth from turning to an ugly shade of yellow or from acquiring that "been-kept-in-the-cabinet-for-years" smell. and don't use moth balls, mind you! :) after which, you should have it vacuum sealed. since piña is a natural fiber, you should allow the material to "breathe" once every two years. that means, opening it up then sealing it once again. if not, the cloth will become brittle over time, thus defeats the whole point of keeping it.

The best part about the whole thing was founding out from Ate Beth how much she charged for her services. she just asked for two thousand pesos for the gown and an additional five hundred for the accessories! yipee! :)

now i just need to buy that vacuum sealing machine so i could preserve all of my bridal accessories. i think home TV shopping is selling one and i'll bet my a$$ that it won't amount to 25k. not even 10k!