How to Steam Your Wedding Dress 101
When you try on your dream dress for the first time–clipped in, off the rack, knowing that it’ll have to be ordered and altered–you can only imagine how much more perfect it’s going to look on your wedding day. A crucial step to achieving this perfection is steaming your gown to make sure all wrinkles are gone and the fabric is sitting just right. Steaming your gown might seem like it comes with risks! It can be a scary process, especially if you’re worried about dreaded water spots or damaging the fabric, but we’re going to share with you everything you need to know about safely steaming your gown. We promise, it’s easier than you think!
Step 1: Hang up your dress and prep your steamer.
Before the steaming process can begin, make sure your dress is hanging in a spot that’s close enough to an outlet, but also has ample room for you to move around the dress freely. The more material the dress has, the more room you’ll want!
Before you ever turn on the steamer, there are a couple of things you’re going to want to do to make sure your steamer is working correctly. We recommend covering the head of your steamer with a clean, thin, stretchy fabric. Cut a piece of fabric from an old pillowcase or sheet (A CLEAN ONE) that is big enough to wrap around the head of the steamer. Secure it to the steamer with a rubber band. This fabric will be the first line of defense and saving grace for water spots.
After covering the steamer head, fill the steamer with fresh, clean water.
Step 2: Steam your dress!
See, we told you it was an easy process. Once your steamer is prepped, it’s time to figure out the best way to steam your gown. Does your gown have lots of layers? Is it tulle? Is it satin? Taking these things into consideration is important to figure out the best way to steam your dress!
If your dress has lots of layers that are visible underneath the top layer of fabric, you’ll need to steam each layer. Even if all of the layers aren’t visible, you might want to take this approach anyway to help the fabric of your dress lie the way it was intended. Whether your dress is satin, tulle, crepe, chiffon, or silk, you can still steam it to relieve wrinkles. Certain fabrics like tulle and chiffon may take longer to steam. If you’re finding it difficult to relieve wrinkles from the fabric, try steaming your dress from the inside out.
If you haven’t already gathered, steaming a wedding gown can take time. Don’t wait to steam your dress a couple of hours before walking down the aisle. Start steaming first thing in the morning or the night before. Then continue to hang it in a safe, clean space–far away from food, fire, and water.
Step-by-Step Guide to Steaming a Dress
Hang your dress in a spacious, clean area.
Prep your steamer (see above).
Let your steamer heat up for a couple of minutes. You’ll hear it emitting steam when it’s ready to use.
Hold the steamer two to three inches away from the fabric. Steam in an up-and-down motion. Don’t touch the steamer's head to the dress!
Have patience! Steaming can take a while, but the wrinkles will fall away.
Don’t panic! If you get a water spot or ring on your dress, it will dry.
After steaming, put your gown in a safe, clean space until you’re ready to put it on!