Choosing the perfect wedding dress

So, Ladies, what’s the one event in our lives that will cause us to, laugh and cry, to scream and stress, and ultimately change our lives forever?

Weddings, weddings, weddings!  For some of us it’s a 24 hour fiesta cram packed with all the trimmings of a traditional wedding.  For others it’s a weekend event that will entertain your guests and yourself with out any limitation.  And for the rest it’s just a simple Justice of the Peace ceremony.  Regardless of how small or extravagant our wedding day is, all of us want to look like we’ve just stepped out of a fairytale.  Let’s face it, we go on crazy diets, get facials, go tanning…  But the most important and beautiful part of this whole process is our Wedding Gown.  For some, it’s more difficult than picking the groom!  Here are a few tips on how to make this process a little less stressful.

Don’t go into any bridal store with out doing your research!
First, before any shopping decide on a venue.  What’s your style?  Is it a traditional wedding or a beach wedding?  Is it a summer wedding or a winter wedding?

Second, check your wallet.  For those of us that don’t have the luxury of falling in love with any wedding gown no matter what the price tag says, this is an important step.  Be smart about it!  Think about your venue.  Consider all the accessories you will need, from tiaras to shoes to even those alterations.

Third, check your body type.  Let’s face it ladies, even though that one wedding gown in vogue magazine looks phenomenal on that model doesn’t mean it’ll look good on us.  Each one of us has a different and unique body.  And we all know that during that day we want to look glamorous, but we also want to be comfortable.  Go in knowing you’d prefer a halter top with an empire waist, or a strapless a-line.

Fourth, be honest with yourself.  By all means don’t hold back trying on fifty wedding gowns if you can handle it.  For some, three or four is the limit before our brains and our hearts go into complete overload.  If you know that the wedding gown you have in your arms is too expensive for your budget, than have someone find you a wedding gown that is similar in style but with less of a price tag.  It is possible!

Fifth, bring a loved one with you.  Whether it be mom and dad, or a sister or best friend, having a second opinion is crucial.

Last, if you are conflicted between wedding gowns, take the time to think it over.  Go out to lunch and discuss it with your loved ones.  Bring someone else with you to a fitting and get their opinion.  This is a big decision!  It’s one of the most important moments in your life.  You should be going into buying a wedding gown with smile.

After your big day be sure to have your gown cleaned and preserved to prevent your precious wedding gown from yellowing and having stains set-in.  The Wedding Gown Preservation Company offers full service wedding gown preservation for just 149.00.

Wedding Gown Preservation Pre-Stain Tips

The top of your wedding cake is boxed up, all the guests have gone home and you and your new husband are off to Cancun.  But what about your precious wedding gown?  If you don’t have time to order your wedding gown preservation kit before you leave, there a few things you can do before you pack up your flip flops and your bikini top.

Treating common stains

We offer full gown cleaning during our gown preservation process, however, you’ll make our lives much easier if you perform some basic pre-stain treatment on your dress before you let your wedding gown sit too long.  Here are common stains that occur during a wedding and how to pre-treat them.

• Chocolate.  We all love it but we don’t love it on our satin wedding dresses. This can be a bit tricky.  As with most of our tips start by soaking the area in cold water.  This lifts the proteins in the chocolate and serves to loosen up the stain.  Use a dishwasher detergent (never use bar soap) to lightly scrub the area.  We find a soft bristle tooth brush works well, just make sure not to scrub the area too much and damage the gown’s fiber.  We’ve also heard that cascade dishwasher soap works really well.  Remember, you’re just pre-treating, not eliminating the stain. That’s our job.
• Candle Wax.  Hopefully the majority of the wax landed on your dress and not your skin.  The first thing you can do is put your dress next to those frozen peas that have been sitting in your freezer since 1996.  We’re serious!  Remove the dress in a few hours and use a spoon to chip away as much of the now brittle wax from the dress.  Don’t use a knife as you risk the chance of pulling fibers.  After you’re done grab your ironing board and clean towel that you don’t mind throwing away after.  Place the thin towel on your dress and let your iron sit on top of the towel for 20-30 seconds.  This should pull the wax away from the dress and absorb into the cotton of the towel.
• Soda, coffee or tea.  The most important thing to remember with these is not to soap as this will permanently set the stains into your dress.  Instead use white vinegar (2/3 water and 1/3 white vinegar) in a spray bottle.  Spray, let it sit for a minute and rub with a cloth or soft tooth brush.

Order your wedding gown preservation kit before you leave and when you come back send the wedding dress to us and we’ll take care of the rest.

More than just Gown Preservation

Most people in the drycleaning industry work hard each day trying to make ends meet and bills paid in these trying times. It is not often that they are able to take the time and effort away from work to help others.

Although there are many cleaners who help out their communities with Coats for Kids, prom dresses for needy students, two percent for the local schools and other notable causes, most are just caught up in the daily grind of work, work, work.

Michael Schapiro, the owner of Wedding Gown Preservation Company in Endicott, NY, is one who takes the time and special effort to help make a difference in the community.

In July, Schapiro was involved in the largest single sporting event fundraiser in the country — the Pan Mass Challenge, a two-day, 200-mile bike ride from Sturbridge MA, to Provincetown, MA, to benefit cancer research.  Schapiro and the others involved raised $34 million for the Jimmy Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research and the Dana Farber Institute, a special center for pediatric cancer, in Boston.

There were 5,400 bike riders and each one is obligated to get sizable donations to help children and their families overcome this frightening disease. Schapiro’s family has been touched by cancer and he was anxious to help raise money for cancer research.

The experience was emotional, heartwarming, and gratifying, Schapiro said.

“My grandparents started a little tailor shop in Endicott, NY, in 1913. It was the impetus for my parents and brothers to enter the business. This weekend was all about giving back to the community and helping families who are less fortunate than mine,” Schapiro said.

“I can tell you hundreds of stories from the people I met on the ride who have been affected by the disease. Some riders have lost spouses and some have lost children or parents. Some riders have miraculously overcome their disease thanks to the Dana Farber Institute and Jimmy Fund, and thanks to the money raised each year.

“It was so inspirational and so uplifting to ride alongside friends and strangers and hear their stories and their heartfelt thanks to all the riders. I have never seen such an outpouring of love, help, and just caring for our fellow human beings. It was so good for the heart, and soul, and helped me realize what one person can help accomplish.”

After the first night of cycling, most riders slept in a huge tent. Schapiro was lucky enough to spend the night at friend and fellow drycleaners Paul and Roberta Bagley’s house in Onset, MA, just at the midpoint of the ride.

Schapiro has spent many years in the drycleaning industry. In 1981, along with his two brothers, he opened a tuxedo rental store. Since they already had the drycleaning equipment, they were urged to expand their formal wear store to include drycleaning. From that they have expanded to an Apparel Master franchise, CRDN fire restoration business, HealthWear, as well as Wedding Gown Preservation Co.  In 2005 they sold it all except for Wedding Gown Preservation Co., which Schapiro kept. Since then he has purchased Allied Heirlooming of Mississippi and Heirloom Memories of Florida. His wife, Sue, joins him in running the business.

Wedding Gown Preservation Company Acquires Allied Heirlooms

Wedding Gown Preservation Co. is pleased to announce the acquisition of Allied Heirlooms of Picayune, Mississippi. The acquisition of Allied further confirms Wedding Gown Preservation Co. as the largest wedding gown preservation company in the industry. Allied’s operations have been moved to a new state of the art production facility located in Endicott, New York. Allied customers will continue with the current pricing structure. Wedding Gown Preservation Co. currently services the continental US, Hawaii, Alaska, Guam and Puerto Rico.

The new acquisition will increase employment at the Endicott, NY facility from 50 current employees to 70 full time employees.

Wedding Gown Preservation Co. is privately owned by Michael and Sue Schapiro. Wedding Gown Preservation Co. has specialized in the preservation and restoration of wedding gowns since 1913. What began as a preservation service in 1913 by Michael Schapiro’s grandparents Joseph and Sara Schapiro
has become a 3rd generation operation.

Wedding Gown Preservation designed a wedding gown preservation kit program that it retails to bridal shops, Dry Cleaners and Formal Shops. The Wedding Gown Preservation Company’s kit program allows authorized dealers to sell the preservation as a retail item. Wedding Gown Preservation Co. provides each of its dealers with marketing materials and a display rack to showcase the preservation kit. Once the bride purchases the kit, the bride sends her gown directly to the Wedding Gown Preservation Co. for preservation.

Michael Schapiro and the Wedding Gown Preservation Co. sales team believe the best time to sell the preservation kit is when the bride is purchasing her gown. The gown is shipped back to the bride within 2 to 6 weeks.