How To Care For Your Gown
Congratulations on your beautiful Caroline Castigliano gown! Your dress should have been delivered on a Caroline Castigliano hanger, packed and covered in Caroline Castigliano tissue. If your gown has shoulders or straps, it is vital to ensure that there is no weight on the shoulders – so release them from the hanger, as this can cause the dress to stretch.
Your gown should also be covered in our heavy-weight white bridal carrier to protect it. When moving the gown to another location, it is best practice to lay it down on the back seat of a car to prevent creasing.
Upon arriving at your destination, hang your gown high to prevent creasing, and unpack the gown while keeping the tissue in place. Pull out the skirts and pull the net petticoats down. Lay a 100% cotton double sheet over your gown to protect it from dust particles.
If your gown requires pressing, it is best to have it done by a professional but if you decide to press the gown yourself use the large piece of silk fabric (provided with your gown upon delivery) between the gown and the iron. Absolutely no lace or beading on your gown should ever be ironed or pressed. Likewise the corset should never be pressed.
The night before the event, lay out your shoes and underwear and ensure your dress is hanging and ready to wear.
On the wedding day, with the help of an attendant, remove the tissue from the dress and undo all the buttons and inner corsets. Remove the hanging loops, this is a large loop threaded through a smaller loop, and keep these safely. Open the gown, clear the room on the floor, carefully step into the gown and ensure it is positioned correctly on the body.
If your dress has an internal corset, thread the lace through the eyelet panel at the top of the corset and thread one side at a time, threading the lace through every other eyelet until both sides are closed with both sides touching and pull snuggly to close the corset. Gently glide your finger along the top edge of the corset at the back to ensure a proper fit.
Be mindful of creasing when putting on shoes or getting in and out of cars, and hold onto the hand loop at the bottom of the train instead of lifting the skirt at hip level. The hand/finger loop at the bottom of the dress on the train can also be used to scoop up the train and slip onto your hand for the first dance or move around among guests. It is important to note that the bustle if the dress has one, is the responsibility of the bride’s assistant or maid of honor to tie it properly after the first dance to ensure it stays in place for the rest of the event.
After your glorious wedding day, it’s essential to take the necessary steps to ensure your gown is correctly cared for. If at any point during the course of the day should make up, food or wine come in contact with the dress, leave it completely alone, it will be easily removed by a professional cleaner, water and many substances purchased as stain removers actually freeze the stain permanently into the gown. To preserve the beauty of your Caroline Castigliano gown, reattach the hanging loops and hang the gown on the specially designed Caroline Castigliano hanger. Before transporting the gown, safeguard it by placing it carefully in the white bridal carrier.
To ensure your beautiful Caroline Castigliano gown remains in pristine condition for years to come, it’s important to entrust it to a reputable specialty dry cleaner for storage. Your gown should be carefully placed in a bridal box and wrapped in acid-free tissue paper for preservation. With the right care and attention, your gown will remain a cherished and lasting reminder of the most beautiful day of your life.
Your wedding day is a momentous occasion, and the team here at Caroline Castigliano hopes it will be nothing short of a spectacular and unforgettable event, one that you will treasure for a lifetime. Along with the joy of your wedding day, we wish you a lifetime of happiness, health, and love together.
