How Much Does It Cost to Dry Clean a Wedding Dress?

How much it costs to dry clean a wedding dress varies, but there are factors that all cleaners will take into account when determining the cost.

Here at Confetti, our prices for wedding dress cleaning start from £155, but there are factors that may increase the cost, which we will explore shortly. There is also the option to pay extra for wedding dress preservation when you have it cleaned to ensure it stays in pristine condition for years to come.

Why is wedding dress dry cleaning more expensive than standard dry cleaning?

Due to the nature of their design (to be worn on a one-off special occasion), wedding dresses are usually very delicate garments that need extra special care when cleaning. Traditional dry cleaning can be too aggressive and the more delicate features, such as beads, buttons and trim, are likely to become loosened or detached.

When dry cleaning a wedding dress, certain chemicals also need to be avoided that may be used in traditional dry cleaning and special cleaning products must be used, such as those made with acid-free formulas, so as not to damage the dress.

Unlike regular dry cleaning, there is no one-size-fits-all method for wedding dresses. The delicate nature of wedding dresses is also all the more reason not to attempt a DIY clean on your dress!

What factors affect the cost of wedding dress dry cleaning?

The cost of dry cleaning a wedding dress can increase depending on several factors that could increase the time or amount of work needed to restore the dress to perfect condition.

The material

Some wedding dress materials are more difficult to dry clean than others, and wedding dresses have a mixture of materials that may need to be treated individually. There are different processes that work best whether your dress is made of silk, delicate lace, or decorated with sequins and beads, and some methods are more time- and labour-intensive than others.

The length

A longer dress will take longer to dry clean, simply because of the amount of material.

The number of layers

As with the length of the dress, the more layers a dress has, the longer it will take to dry clean.

Any embellishments

Wedding dresses are delicate garments and, as such, extra care needs to be taken to not detach, loosen or damage any embellishments such as beads, buttons, sequins, trim and jewels.

Whether or not the dress has stained or yellowed

If a wedding dress has stained or yellowed, then it may take more time and more intensive cleaning to restore the original condition. There are also different processes more suited to removing stains depending on the source of the stain, which could result in a higher cost.

Delivery or courier collection

Some dry cleaning companies may also charge extra for courier collection and delivery of the dress once it has been dry cleaned, although here at Confetti, this is included in our cleaning price.

Dress preservation

Having your dress dry cleaned by a professional will have it looking as wonderful as the day of your wedding, but if you want to ensure it stays that way, we would recommend investing in the safe, long-term preservation of your dress to keep it in the best condition.

The preservation of your dress comes with an additional cost, but it allows your dress to remain in pristine condition for years. As part of the preservation process, any necessary repairs are made on the dress to rectify damage such as tears, and then the dress is delicately pressed and steamed before being placed in a presentation box.

The preservation boxes we use at Confetti are pH neutral and are lined with layers of acid-free tissue. The boxes are also breathable so that your dress can adjust to changing temperatures without affecting its shape, colour, or the integrity of the materials.

Hopefully this has been helpful in identifying the factors that can affect the cost of dry cleaning a wedding dress. The process is a delicate one that should be handled by professionals and it really isn’t worth the risk of taking shortcuts.

If you are looking for professional wedding dress dry cleaning or dress preservation services, then please get in touch, and we’ll be happy to help.