Preserving your wedding gown is one of the most important things you can do to ensure lasting memories of your special day. There are several choices you can make. Knowing what to ask so you can make the right choices is the key to a beautiful gown through the years.

If you choose to do nothing you'll have problems later. Your dress will yellow with age, the stains will discolor and become almost impossible to remove, and you'll end up with something that's of little more use than an old rag.

So let's see what you need to ask.

Question #1: "Do you clean and preserve my dress in your own facilities locally or do you send it out to a national company?

(If they send your gown to a national company then ask question #5)

Local dry-cleaners that do their own work on your wedding dress can be scary...for several reasons.

Question #2: "Is my gown cleaned along with other items in your store.?"

Most dry-cleaners will throw your dress in with other dresses, slacks, even suits to be cleaned. You want your gown cleaned separately from any other dress, or other items. Don't let them tell you their cleaning fluid is filtered and it'll be alright...it won't be.

Question #3: "How do you find any stains and how do you remove them from my dress?"

The naked eye can find many stains, but your wedding gown needs to be inspected more carefully. Use of a black light will illuminate hidden stains. Hidden stains can be caused by white wine, club soda, even white cake frosting. Also will they pay special attention to the hem, which is always dirty - grass stained - and nasty, and the bodice of the dress at the underarms. This is where make-up, perspiration an body oils can get on the dress.

Question #4: "What kind of preservation display box is my dress going to come in?"

What you need to be most concerned about it whether the box is acid free. Will the bodice of the dress be displayed on a bust form so it looks nice. Is the bust form acid free? And then making sure that the display box is given to you inside a storage box, for extra protection.

Question #5: "There are two major national bridal gown preservation companies. Both use similar processes, one offers a lifetime guarantee, the other a 20 year guarantee. Check them out on the internet for yourself.

These 5 questions should give you a good start on getting the information you need to make a good choice about your wedding gown preservation.