How Double-Sided Fabric Tape Can Save Your Wedding Gown Catastrophe!
Beautiful wedding gown hanging from a garden trellis. © Dan Wagner 2023
If your spill wine or tear your wedding gown below the waist, you may be able to hide the damage with double-sided fabric tape. While photographing a Long Island wedding ten years ago, the bride and groom posed on either side of their freshly-detailed Jeep Grand Cherokee wedding present. Catastrophe struck when the bride’s gown was stained by the Jeep’s tires. There was literally a perfect imprint of the tire, including brand, size, and even air pressure. Luckily for the bride, her father was a tailor, and was able to hide the damage by sewing a 3’ seam in less than 5-minutes! This solution worked because the style of her wedding gown had enough fabric to create an extra fold.
To this day, I’m always extra vigilant about making sure the bride and groom don’t go near anything that might ruin their wedding attire (please excuse the word attire). As a photographer, I regret not taking a photo of the gown after it was damaged, but I felt too guilty for not anticipating what might happen. Fortunately, nobody could tell where the bride’s gown had been stained, and she was able enjoy a worry-free wedding reception. Because brides may not always have a tailor on hand, I strongly recommend bringing a roll of strong fabric tape, Super Glue, thread, needle, and stain remover in case of wedding gown catastrophes.
Bride displaying the back of her beautiful wedding gown. © Dan Wagner 2023
7 Tips on How to Repair Your Damaged Wedding Dress
Stay calm! Wedding gown mishaps are often not as bad as they first appear. By remaining calm, having a plan, and a good list of wedding gown repair tips, you should be able to save the day.
Spills and stains—remember to consult your wedding gown designer/store regarding their favorite dress spill and stain remedies. You want a stain removal solution that works quickly and safely, so you can return the wedding gown to like-new condition after your wedding. Unless of course you plan on having a trash-the-dress photo session, in which case you might as well use white fabric spray paint (not a real solution)! Some popular fabric stain remedies are salt and club soda, lemon detergent and hairspray, Tide pen, and stain wipes.
Hide the damage—if your wedding gown is damaged during or just before your photo session, you can try to hiding the damage with your bouquet, or by positioning a person or object to obstruct the stained area until you have time to repair it. In some cases, a few fabric pins might be used to create a fold to hide the damage.
Zipper malfunctions—few things are as frustrating as stubborn or broken zippers. Using a bar of soap can help lubricate sticky zippers. Amazon offers a large variety of zipper pens, wax, and lubricants. As a last resort, use safety pins when a zipper completely fails.
Strap snaps—can usually be repaired with a needle and thread.
Ripped hems—can also be repaired with thread, as well as fabric tape, Super Glue, and when all else fails—a stapler.
Too much dieting—due to normal wedding stress, some brides loose more weight than expected between the time they pick up their finished wedding gown and their wedding day. One solution to a dress with too much room in the waist is a wedding sash. The sash can be the same color fabric as the gown, or in a contrasting color—whatever works for you.
THE RESCUE KIT COMPANY
One great source for fixing wedding gown catastrophes with double-sided fabric tape is The Rescue Kit Company (I have no affiliation with this company). The have a fantastic Bride Kit for $135 that includes the following:
Sewing Kit
Pre-threaded Needles
Hair & Pin Kit
Earlobe Support Patches
Towel
Protective Gloves
Compact Mirror
Permanent Glue
Tissues
Deodorant Removing Sponge
Wrinkle Release Spray
Stain Removing Wipes
Silk Stain Removing Wipes for Delicate Fabrics
Travel Lint Roller
Static Removing Spray
Makeup Face Shield
Blister & Chafe Balm
Foot Gel Pads
Silicone Nipple Covers (two skin tones available)
Alcohol Wipes
Double Stick Tape
Reusable Silicone Straw
Please read my blog article: 12 Best Bridal Dress Shops in Long Island
Stay tuned for more Long Island wedding photography blog articles!
“Dan Wagner was the best money spent on our wedding. He was nice, professional and did a great job. He took great candid photos—which I love. Not only did we get every picture he took, but the photos were full size and without any writing on them, and they arrived just a few days after we came back home from our honeymoon. We got to choose many pictures for our album. Because everything was digital, he e-mailed me exactly what the layout of the album would be before it was printed, and I was able to make changes. Our album was the nicest I have seen, and everyone who has seen it wishes they had hired him.”
—Genevieve and William
Every Bride and Groom Deserve Beautiful Wedding Photos!
Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences about protecting and repairing wedding gowns in the comment box below. Have a wonderful wedding, and many thanks for visiting my Long Island wedding photographer blog!