Wedding dresses are extremely valuable, both sentimentally and in terms of nominal financial value. They're also often large, taking up much needed closet space, which can be impractical for day to day life. You don't likely want to actually get rid of your wedding dress, so if you want to move it elsewhere, it's time to start looking at self storage units. Before you can actually put your dress in storage, you need to properly prepare it to preserve it so that it looks as good as the day you used it when you eventually take it out again.
Cleaning
The first thing that you should do when preparing your wedding dress for storage is to have it cleaned. This will remove any stains that may have begun to set in and take care of dust and other contaminants that may be sitting on the material. You'll want to go to a dry cleaner that specializes or has a significant amount of experience cleaning wedding dresses. The store that you purchased your dress from may have a few recommendations. Avoid dry cleaners that deal with everyday items, as the potential for damage to your dress can be fairly high with someone who doesn't know what they're doing.
Packing
Once your dress has been cleaned, you'll want to pack it properly to prevent damage from occurring while it's stored. You should stay away from plastic dress bags at all costs. These can trap moisture and promote mildew growth over the long term, which can ruin the appearance of your dress fairly quickly. Instead, you should go to a storage supply store and look for a large cardboard box that is made out of acid-free material. You'll also want acid-free packing paper. Fold the dress carefully within the box, using the packing paper to separate the folds to avoid snagging.
Climate Control and Proper Storage
Finally, you'll want to choose a self-storage unit that has climate control capabilities. While this does represent an added expense each month, it can help prevent mold and mildew from forming on your dress. You should also make sure that you store the box that holds your dress on a desk or shelf off of the ground to avoid potential moisture damage that could occur with a leak or flooding. Make sure that nothing is stacked on top of it so that your dress does not get squished or otherwise damaged.
