Three Weddings One Dress

Many things are passed down from generations: stories, sayings, and wisdom. Sometimes, a memento can be preserved through the years: granddaddy’s pocket knife or grandma’s glass set. But rarely is a satin dress able to soak in the collective joy, love and anxiousness of three generations of weddings – except in the case of at least one Dickson County family.
On June 16, 1947, Edward Edenfield married Dolores Ruth Hickle, who was dressed in a white candlelight satin dress, with Italian lace and an antique netting veil. Afterward, the new Mrs. Edenfield wrapped the dress in a black shower curtain and packed it away in a trunk. It stayed there for 33 years. When Jane Anne Edenfield decided to marry Wayne Bass, her mother brought out the dress. “(Wearing the dress) had been discussed. We always knew it was there,” Jane Anne said. “It was a beautiful gown… you can’t buy a dress like that any more.” Jane Anne had the dress taken in slightly, but otherwise, it fit perfectly.
The vows were exchanged, “I do” was said, and the dress went back into the trunk. In 1994, Dolores Edenfield passed away. Jane Anne’s sister had two little boys and Jane Anne had two young girls – so the dress fell to her. “It came to me so my girls could hopefully wear it,” Jane Anne said. Jane Anne’s daughter, Rachel, met and fell in love with Dewayne Tidwell about a decade later. They set their wedding for Oct. 1, 2005. It didn’t take long to decide on a dress. “It was just kind of a given,” Rachel said. “I thought it would be cool for a third generation to wear it.” However, Rachel “couldn’t handle the long sleeves” and had the dress slightly altered. She had the sleeves cut off and had the necking altered, as well.
Earlier this year, it was Rachel’s sister, Sarah’s turn to wear the dress when she married Bill Story. The only change she made was removing the bustle. “Just for it to still be intact and for all of us to wear it and it’s still just so pretty,” Sarah said. “It’s got the old romantic charm to it. It’s ageless – that’s what makes it perfect,” Rachel said. Both Sarah and Rachel said they didn’t mind missing out on the process of trying to find the perfect dress. “Once you put that dress on, you’re just like ‘wow,’” Sarah said. “Just the feeling you get when you put that dress on, sets it like ‘that’s the dress I’m going to wear.’”

The next in line for the dress is Rachel’s one-year-old daughter, Kinsley – if that’s the dress she chooses.
“If she says no, that’s her decision, and that’s alright,” Rachel said.
The dress still sits in the attic at Jane Anne’s home in the same black trunk for whoever wants to carry on the tradition.

Wedding Gown Preservation

I received a phone call the other day from one of my past brides.  I could tell from her voice that she was distraught.  She told me that she had a flood in her house and her gown had been ruined.  When she discovered the water she set the boxed gown up but didn't check it as she assumed that since she had had it preserved in a box it was safe.  After she attended to the other things she went back to the box that held the most important outfit she had ever worn.  Her shoes, bra and veil were also in the box.  When she opened it all she found was a mildewed mess.  Black fungus had begun to grow in the fibers.  I can picture her now and she probably looked a lot like the girl in this picture.  I was heart sick for her. I had not handled her gown preservation.  I wish she had let us do that for her.

Not all preservation is created equal.  I hear stories of dry cleaners requiring a release prior to cleaning a wedding gown.  They don't want to be held responsible in the event that your gown is damaged or ruined in the cleaning process.  Some cleaners will dry clean your gown and put it in a box.  Sometimes it will be in a bag, usually not sealed.  Some so called authorities say that a gown should not be sealed.  That fabric needs to breathe.  Fabrics don't have lungs, why would they need to breathe?  When you preserve peaches you seal them in a jar in a process that removes oxygen and bacteria and the peaches stay beautifully orange.  There are 4 things that will deteriorate your gown.  Air, moisture, sunlight and insects.  If any of these come into contact with your gown you will have a problem.

Several years ago I was chatting with my preservation company rep. and she said that there had been  flooding in Florida so severe that coffins were erupting from the grave yards and even some of their boxed wedding gowns had been recovered and returned to her for re boxing.  As long as the inner clear packaging had not  been punctured the gown was totally protected and preserved.

At The Gallery by Lynette we do not recommend any preservation method except first, cleaning by the best method for your particular gown, if it is silk it must use a low moisture cleaning process.  Many gowns can be wet cleaned but must be dried thoroughly.  The air within the preservation chest must be totally moisture and oxygen free and the sealed very heavy clear covering must be administrated by an expert.  Sure, you might pay slightly more (usually not more than $20) but isn't it worth it to know that if your gown were found floating it would be protected.  Our process is totally guaranteed and is only $199 for most gowns which includes both cleaning and archived.  Drop your gown by and we will handle the rest.  You can also include two accessories at no extra charge.