Wondering what you can do to preserve your gown? Take notes from Suzanne Chee, who conserves dresses at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum.

“We try to preserve the original material and techniques of manufacturing,” she explains. “I’ve worked on dresses from the 18th century through to now.” Here’s her advice:

• Get rid of surface dirt by vacuuming the dress with a normal vacuum, but you must use a special attachment. You can buy one through Althea Needles and Threads, either call 1800 249 882 or go to their website.
• If the dress is to be a family heirloom, make sure you preserve any damaged fabric. For example, if the fabric in the underarm area has weakened, place a similar piece of fabric underneath to strengthen it.
• For best results, pack the dress away as soon as you can. The garment needs to be dry-cleaned after the ceremony. Spills like champagne, although colourless, will oxidise over time and turn brown. Order the box before your wedding day – it’s one more thing to organise, but it means you can store the dress the minute you’ve picked it up from the dry-cleaners.
• Garments need to be stored in archive-quality boxes to protect the dress from light, insects and water. Ask your local museum who supplies them, or buy one through Zeta Florence (1300 555 124) or Albox Australia (08 8362 4811).
• The acid-free tissue should be white and not blue, because it water damage occurs (such as flooding), the blue will run and stain the dress.
• Make rolls out of the acid-free tissue paper and insert them into the arms of the dress to prevent sharp creases from forming. It’s recommended that you don’t fold the dress more than twice.
• You can place shoes, jewellery and the ceremony pamphlet in the box. But make sure you place them in snap-lock bags beside the dress.
• To store your dress, wrap the box in a sheet and store it under your bed or on top of your wardrobe.