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Before you
begin to package your wedding souvenirs, you might want
to perform a couple of touch ups to your items.
Replacing missing accessories like pearls, ribbons and
flowers will not do much damage to the original
framework, but cleaning may. Blemishes may spread, and
dry cleaning may fade and age the fabric.
Place your headpiece
and other tangible materials in a separate storage unit
outside your wedding gown. This allows the gown to
preserve the original shape and beauty.
Use acid-free boxes
and tissue paper. Paper materials that contain residual
acids will cripple, fade and lead to the destruction and
deterioration of the articles being stored.
Make sure the
acid-free box you select is not buffered. Some of the
acid-free boxes contain an alkali called calcium
carbonate. This substance can gradually ruin and damage
protein fibers. For those headpieces that contain
delicate materials like wool or silk, choose
non-buffered acid-free paper
materials. |
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It is
important to create a support foundation for the body of
your headpiece during storage. Use Styrofoam for a
proper base, and wrap your headpiece in acid-free tissue
paper or cotton fabric. Keep the shape of the headpiece
by stuffing it with clusters of crumbled acid-free
tissue paper.
Place blocks of
Styrofoam or stiff acid-free paper materials like
cardboard around the sides of the storage unit. This
allows the headpiece to maintain a stable position to
prevent damage from shifting and movement. Make sure the
headpiece is set apart from the veil, then blanket it
with more support from tissue paper.
For preservation of
your veil, gather it gently between folds of acid-free
tissue paper in each layer. If the veil is attached to
the headpiece, station it lightly around the headpiece.
If the veil is detachable, store it in a different
storage unit still enclosed in acid-free tissue
paper. |
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Store
your boxes in dark dry areas like a closet or underneath
the bed. Avoid basements and attics. By placing your
possessions there, the dampness of the environment can
destroy the items with mildew. Insects can also demolish
the materials and eat away at it's content. If placed in
the attic, the climate there can also weaken fibers.
Protect the boxes from dust with sheets, not plastic.
Plastic forms condensation and the moisture ruins the
materials.
Although you may take
all the necessary precautions to preserve your wedding
items, time will only tell. Natural aging of the
materials may force you to replace and restore certain
aspects of your wedding
garments. |
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You open
your eyes. A hazy mist lingers around you. Pushing
open heavy oak doors, a familiar melody plays sweetly
from an organ, beckoning you into the room. Bewildered,
you take a hesitant step forward with one white satin
shoe. Soaking in your surroundings, you survey the room.
You peer into faces of loved ones, those you have known
all your life. Your feet, transfixed with the rhythm of
the music, make a steady pace down the aisle. Loved ones
gaze in adoration at you, smiling tear-streaked faces
mouth the words, "She's so beautiful," and "My how
lovely her dress is."
"My dress?" You think.
Glancing down, you see yourself clothed in flowing
white, a delicate veil covers your face. The gown is
topped off with a beautiful headpiece, the finishing
touch to your wedding ensemble. Your wedding! Could this
be? Hurriedly, your eyes skim the front, and you notice
him. Your beaming fiancée, looking handsome in his
tuxedo and staring at you with love and devotion. All
doubts and jitters immediate fly out the stained-glass
chapel window as you lock eyes with his. Tremors of
happiness flow through your body, as you realize with
calm assuredness that this is the man you will love to
spend the rest of your life with.
A beautiful smile of
happiness appears on your face. Suddenly your eyes fill
with tears. Oh no! A horrific thought creeps into the
back of your consciousness. Frantically, you scan the
room, and yes! There it is! Choking back screams of
terror, you discover your worst nightmare has come true.
The florist forgot to take the lilacs out of the wedding
bouquet! You are allergic to lilacs! Uncontrollable
tears from the sensitive reaction begin to flow freely
down your face. Absentmindedly, you wipe your face with
a gloved hand, and realize you aren't wearing waterproof
mascara. Streaks of black makeup stain your veil and
glove. Distraught, you yank your makeup smeared hands
away, only entangling them in yards of fabric from your
veil. Suddenly your nose starts to twitch. No. Oh please
no. Then it happens. Like an erupting volcano that
cannot be stopped you let out a tremendous sneeze. The
impact whiplashes your head backwards, causing your
headpiece to slip, blanketing your face. The moments are
frozen in time as everything takes on a slow motion
speed. Now blinded by your veil, you frantically flap
your arms in confusion, trying to set them free of the
spider web veil that now has consumed your whole body in
its net. Fluttering about, you blindly knock over the
laughing ring bearer, sending him tumbling down the
aisle, and the ring flies into the crowd of gawking
spectators. A moment of silence hushes over the
crowd, but then all chaos breaks loose. Guests are on
hands and knees, transforming into a mass of yelling
officials shouting and scrambling around like pigs to
find the ring.
You let out a scream
of terror . . . and find yourself upright in
your bed with beads of perspiration rolling off your
forehead. It was only a dream. Nightmare
more like it. Taking in gulps of air, you let
yourself settle down before you pick up the phone and
double check with the florist.
There might not be
lilac at your wedding, but a loose and awkward headpiece
can be the cause of many wedding disasters. To prevent
this nightmare from occurring at your wedding, follow
these headpiece saving steps.
How do I keep my
headpiece on? Follow these simple tricks of the trade
and your wedding will be a piece of
cake. |
