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Postponed Wedding
Having to postpone your wedding is heartbreaking. And on top of rearranging the date for the future, the last thing you want is to lose or damage the valuable things you’ve already bought. So where to them and make sure you carefully preserve delicate items?
Here are some ideas, from renting storage space to properly packing things up, so all your precious, lovely wedding stuff stays pristine for when the big day finally comes around.
Take Stock of All You Have
Right now you might remember every single item you bought or were gifted in preparation for the wedding, but will you remember everything in a few months or even a year?
Make sure you don’t forget a thing with a comprehensive inventory, right down to invitations and other stationery, wedding favours, and your guest list.
If you’re packing for self storage, add to the list as you pack each item, and remember to label the boxes so you don’t forget where everything is.
Preserving Your Wedding Dress
Fabrics can become discoloured over time, sometimes from the items surrounding them, and sometimes just from the sunlight bleaching them.
Use PH neutral (acid free or archive) boxes, clothes bags and papers to protect your wedding dress, and a padded hanger if you’re storing it on a rail. Renting a self storage room for your wedding accessories will also protect your dress and bridesmaids’ dresses from light damage. Self storage facilities let you install freestanding rails or cabinets so you can organise your space to suit your needs.
If you’re using a box to store your dress flat, insert tissue paper between any folds and make sure the box is large enough not to crush the dress.
When dresses with delicate straps or shoulders are hung, check them regularly to make sure there’s no stretching or pulling. Hanging loops can sometimes slip or be incorrectly placed on the hanger so the weight of the dress is straining the fabric.
Treat bridesmaids’ dresses and pageboy outfits the same way. If you still have the packaging the clothes came with, this is a good starting place for preparing those precious items for longer term storage.
Store shoes in a fabric shoe bag, out of any plastic packaging. Silica gel packs can help make sure no moisture gets in to ruin them.
Accessories and Stationery
Wedding stationery can be surprisingly expensive, as with everything else for a wedding. Invitations or save the day cards will need replacing for the new date, but other items can be saved.
Paper, however, is especially susceptible to discolouring if it’s not stored properly. Store all your paper goods such as place cards and menus or special stationery for use on the day, flat, in acid free boxes, with tissue paper between layers. Keep the box in the dark, or at least away from direct sunlight. Again, if you want to resist the temptation of constantly sneaking a peak, a self storage room will keep everything out of harm’s way until you need it again.
Special accessories, whether they are hair accessories or candles and other table decorations, should be fine in their original packing. Wrap coloured candles separately as they too can discolour other items over time if they rest against each other.
If you have larger items, such as decorative boards or signs that you plan to use at your wedding or reception venue, self storage will definitely help you protect these from knocks or scratches. You could use bubble wrap for wood, glass or acrylic items, and tissue paper for more delicate items such as fairy lights, along with good, sturdy storage tubs or boxes. If you’re avoiding plastic, use fabric sheets to wrap larger, sturdy objects.
Confetti and artificial flower arrangements will keep well if you protect them from dirt and damp. Dust your flowers and wrap them loosely with tissue paper or a light fabric before placing them in large boxes for protection. This works for centrepieces for the table, bouquets and standing floral installations for your venue.
Storage for Wedding Favours
While some food items won’t keep, just about everything else you might include in a wedding favour should be fine.
- With wrapped chocolate, check the best before date and keep it in a cool place, away from moisture. A white bloom on chocolate is unappetising and happens when chocolate melts then resets.
- Small alcohol favours will keep indefinitely. Anything with an airtight seal, such as a cork, bottle stopper, or a tight lid in the case of preserves or honey, will also keep well as long as they’re unopened.
- Keep things like soaps, bath bombs, perfumes, or sparklers and matches in a cool, dark, dry place and inspect them when you take them out of storage. These things often don’t keep as well as we think they should.
Some people go ahead and celebrate their original wedding date, while others quietly make plans for future celebrations. Whichever route you take after postponing your wedding, a bit of careful storage will keep your precious wedding stuff as lovely as the day you bought it. Pack it all up carefully and it will be safe, whether you choose self storage and keep everything together in one place, or you opt for another method of storage, maybe sharing items between your own home and the houses of family and friends.
Have you had to postpone your wedding? Would you consider using a self storage unit to free up some room in your own home until the big day?
This was a really interesting post to read. Its heartbreaking that so many people have had to postpone their special day. I hadnt actually thought about what that entailed such as storing items. You’ve featured some great tips that will be sure to help so many couples.
My poor Dad will be very glad to clear his wardrobes and spare bedroom of all my wedding stuff!
Thank you for reading x
Great tips. I can imagine it’s pretty stressful right now having a postponed wedding and having to deal with all the stuff that’s come with that!
It really is, I hadn’t really thought too much about it but it is taking over my Dad’s house so I think storage is the way forward. I can’t have it knocking around for 16 months x x
Great tips. My wedding dress in my wardrobe and I know it’s going to be creased, it’s giving me nightmares.
I really feel for those people who have been looking forward to their big day then had to postpone, so sad. These are some great tips though!
This is such an important post – I think many people are going to be struggling to know what to do with all their wedding items which are absolutely stunning. I’ve had a good friend cancel so I am going to send this to her.
Thank you. I hope you’re friend is OK, i am still up and down about our decision to postpone but I know it was the right thing to do, deep deep down!
I think a lot of people have lost out on beautiful weddings this year which is a shame!
This is a timely post. I know there are some couples who were all set for their wedding day but had to be postponed because of the quarantine guidelines. I will share this on my FB wall. I am positive it will be a big help for those who are in a similar situation right now.
Thank you so much. It’s a hard decision to make but for peace of mind it is probably a good one to make sooner rather than later x
A very interesting post and definitely useful.
Thank you for sharing it with us
There is some really sound and sensible advice here for sure. so sad that people are having to postpone their big day x
Thank you Melanie. It’s a tough decision but in most cases it’s been the right one. I am still up and down about postponing ours but I am pleased that we took control and made the decision x
This was a really interesting read. I had no idea how big of an effect the way your store something would have. It’s such a massive shame that people have to postpone their wedding but hopefully this post will mean their delayed wedding will be just as perfect!
What great tips, I really feel for anyone who is having to go through this right now, hopefully it will make it even more special when it happens.
This has probably happened alot this year and this post has several useful tips, great post
I have three weddings which have been postponed due to coronavirus which is such a shame, but this is really useful to know about storing things as I’m sure everyone has lots of things they’ve been collecting to use as decorations etc x
It is heartbreaking to see so many weddings being postponed this year, many couples are wondering how to manage and store their items and these tips are going to be so helpful to them.
It must be devastating even having to think about storing the items after the big day being postponed.
Some brilliant tips here to help those who are in this situation. Thank you for sharing Claire.
Great tips! My cousin had her wedding postponed until next year – I feel so bad for everyone having to deal with this.
Gosh I feel so sorry for everyone who’s had to postpone their wedding due to Covid… One of my friends has had to push theirs back so this post will be useful to them (especially when preserving wedding favours)! Thanks so much for sharing x
This was a super interesting post, I can’t imagine how you are feeling and the stress it would have put you under! But as they say, all things happen for a reason!
Amber | The Unpredicted Page
I really feel for all those who have had their big days cancelled, I can’t imagine how upsetting that must be. These are great tips though for people to store everything away so that they can still get the day they dreamt of some time soon.
It must be gutting to have to postpone your wedding although the reasons for doing so are totally understandable.
Such an important one as I know so many people that are currently having to postpone weddings , such great advice and tips here 🙂
I’d never even thought of this! But my brother is getting married so I’ll send this article to him!
I have a few friends that made the decision to postpone. Such a tough decision but these are great tips, thanks I will forward on
Lists are a great idea. I imagine I would forget if I put things into storage.
My heart goes out to everyone who has had to cancel or postpone a wedding. It’s such a special day, but also leaves you in limbo if you have to put it on hold. My family lives abroad, and we wouldn’t have been able to get married if there had been a travel ban for them at the time – my father was the celebrant!
So many plans have had to be cancelled or delayed. My heart goes out to all those who’ve been unable to have their special day go ahead.
I know of a couple of friends who have had to postpone their weddings due to lock-down and I feel for each of them. I will be sharing your post with them as these are really helpful tips.
This was such an interesting read! I had no idea about storing wedding dresses properly. I hadn’t even considered the amount of things people who’ve postponed their weddings need to sort out!
My heart goes out to everyone who has had to postpone their weddings. I am not in that position yet, but I’ve had to postpone trips and breaks with my boyfriend. Thank you for sharing this post, it was interesting to read how you can make the best of a bad situation and how to look after your things!
Em x
Thank you. It’s been really hard making this decision, as it has for everyone who has had to postpone anything this year x