Preserving Wedding Day Memories
The wedding day is one of the most memorable in a person’s life. Customs dictate keeping the bouquet, cake and gown intact for the future, freezing the memories of that special day.
The smallest cake is kept for the first anniversary. This must be preserved properly so that it is a tasty memory and not a tasteless one. Wedding cakes are frozen for that first year and proper freezing procedures must be stringently followed for best results. First, the cake must be well wrapped in plastic wrap, making sure there is a minimum of air trapped inside. Use several layers. Then wrap over the plastic with heavy duty aluminum foil to prevent frost damage. Never use foil directly on the cake or the cake will taste metallic in addition to breaking in the freezer. Store the cake in the freezer at the back, where temperatures are more stable. The cake will maintain its flavor and transport you to that wonderful day.
There are several ways to preserve the wedding bouquet. Frequently, the flowers are dried and made into potpourri or pressed and dried. Flowers must be preserved the same night and not left for after the honeymoon. A friend or relative can help. The whole bouquet can be preserved by hanging it upside down in a dark dry place for 2-3 weeks.
Potpourri is made by removing the fresh petals and drying them in a bowl, in a dark dry room. Adding some floral potpourri scent after drying will give them a wonderful perfume.
For drying whole flowers, the fresh flowers are cut close to the base and placed between waxed paper and pressed between glass or the pages of a heavy book. Maintain in a cool but dark and dry place and they should be ready in about two weeks. It is important that they do not catch mold. The pressed flowers and petals can be used to decorate the wedding album and framed wedding pictures.
The wedding gown must be taken to the dry cleaners as soon as possible to be able to remove stains. After a month the stains get stubborn and trying to remove them can damage the fabric. Check on handling and packing the dress. The gown must be cleaned separately and reversed to prevent harming the embroidery and beading etc. Stains must be hand treated as certain stains like sugar are not dissolved by cleaning fluids.
After cleaning, wedding gowns must be wrapped in acid-free tissue and kept in an acid free box to prevent discoloring of the fabric. The box window must be acetate and not plastic. The head-piece must be stored separately due to the glue, rubber parts and metal which will stain brown and discolor the dress if kept together. Always check the gown before packing it away to make sure the cleaners have done a good job. If not professionally wrapped, detach padding from shoulders and bust and wrap in a piece of muslin or clean white sheet.
Gowns must be laid out flat and not hung in a cool dry place. Do not use attics and basements and always check the dress once each twelve months for any damage.