Storing Dress at Home Before Wedding?

kat1114

The bridal shop called today to say that my dress has finally arrived (yay!), but they want me to pick it up and take it home until it's time for alterations in October because "they are running low on storage space."

I feel a little nervous about keeping it at home because 1) we don't have a lot of extra closet space, and 2) we have a cat, and although he's not normally prone to scratching clothing, I'm nervous about him somehow getting into the dress.

Is it odd for a store to request this? Or is it totally normal, and I just need to suck it up and pick up the damn dress?

CMGragain

I bought my own dress off the rack and took it straight home.  It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling to see it hanging in my closet.
My daughter ordered her dress from Pearl's Place.  When it came in the mail, she hung it in the storage bag in her closet, too.
I don't trust a bridal salon with something as important as my very own wedding dress.  I have seen places go out of business overnight.  Go get your dress and buy a good storage bag!

lyndausvi

not odd at all. Think of all the brides that get dresses as far out as you. They have to be stored somewhere. My sister picked up and held my dress for me.

WinstonsGirl

I didn't get mine until a few days before, but I had them double bag the dress and put in the corner of a guest closet and shut the door.  DH had strict instructions to not peek, though he didn't want to.  

tigersgirlgv

Not odd at all. I think it has something to do with insurance.. If their store burns down they don't want to have to replace all of the dresses.

Do you have a close friend or family member who would be willing to store it for you and doesn't have the pet issue?

kat1114

tigersgirlgv said:

Not odd at all. I think it has something to do with insurance.. If their store burns down they don't want to have to replace all of the dresses.

Do you have a close friend or family member who would be willing to store it for you and doesn't have the pet issue?

SITB

Unfortunately, I don't live in the city as my family, and my friends in my city have pets that I trust less than my cat. But I'm sure I can just take it home, and it will be fine. Thank you all for your help!

mysticl

I put mine in a garment bag in the closet.  It stayed there until the night before my wedding when I moved it to MOH's hotel room.  

I had a cat too, she didn't go near it

falsara

My mom was storing my dress in AZ after we had bought it off the rack, when I moved from home to Chicago I had my mom send my dress to my Nana in MI since that's where the wedding is anyway.  I go to see my grandparents every few months, and every time I'm there I go to the closet its in and get butterflies just seeing it hanging there.

SmileDamnit

Yep - totally normal. My shop actually charged for storage if kept beyond a week after it arrived. That said, I HATED having it in the house. It made me so freakin' nervous (…and for good reason - I accidentally got the oh-so-delicate shell stick in the zipper of the garnet bag when I was being carless after showing a girlfriend one day). Just put it in a safe place and leave it be until alteration time

Kauris

It should be fine. I'm actually more nervous about leaving it with the alterations lady for a month.

theartistformerlyknownas

I cannot be trusted with my dress. I'd wear it every day. Luckily my salon offered to store it as long as I needed them to (and it's owned by a college classmate who I trust implicitly). My dad will pick it up on his way to the rehearsal.

But yeah, it should be fine.  

cupcait927

Not weird at all. Mine was stored at my house until last week when I went to drop it off for alterations. She should have it back to me by the beginning of August and I'll keep it there until the wedding.

ElcaB

It's not weird at all. 

We don't have much space in the house, and even though we have a spare bedroom with a door I don't feel comfortable keeping it in our house with our dog. It's being stored at my mom's until I'm ready for alterations. 

scrunchythief

I definitely second the advice about a good storage bag.  I had to store my dress for about a year and my mom also found these small planks of cedar attached to coat hanger hooks to prevent moths.  

Another idea, if you're worried about your cat, would be to consider those little caps that go on a cat's claws to keep it from scratching.  I've never used them myself though.

SBmini

Totally normal. Make some room for it in the back of a closet, it won't be there long anyways.

wandajune6

I've kept mine at my parent's house since January. The straps are thin so we've kept it laid out in the bag on my childhood bed.

Well, up until yesterday when I had my first dressing fitting. They'll hold on to it for a while!