5 tips to take the stress out of planning your wedding.

Monday, 13 February, 2012 20:20

Take the stress out of planning your wedding by starting out with a budget. A wedding doesn’t have to be expensive to provide a wonderful experience. By doing some of the leg work now you can still have your dream wedding at a fraction of the cost. Enlist the help of your family and friends to source the venue, pick the invitations and help take care of the many details. Saving money now will put less stress on your finances so that you and your future spouse have more money to spend on things to start your lives together. Here are a just a few suggestions on how to cuts costs and still have a beautiful wedding.

1. Set a Budget: The first step to keeping your wedding spending under control is to create budget. Decide how much you can spend and don’t overspend, not even for the delightful themed extras. A few dollars here and there can add up over time.

2. Prioritize Spending: There are some things that might be more important to you and your finance than others. Prioritize to spend more on things that truly matter to you and cut costs on things that aren’t as important. This will also help you stick to your budget and not spend impulsively. You will appreciate the extra money you save when it comes time to buying your first home or taking a holiday together as a couple.

3. Keep It Simple: One way to save money and your sanity is to simplify your wedding. Sometimes less really is more. Do you really need every one of those five-course dinners to enjoy your special day? Survey your friends and ask them what they would have done without on their wedding day and you may just save yourself some money.

4. Give Yourself Time: By giving yourself plenty of time to plan, you won’t feel rushed at the last minute and forced into using services and products that are more expensive. By having more time you’ll be able to shop around for the best deals, and not get stuck with what’s available at the last minute. Plus, if you have a credit card that accumulates air miles you’ll have time to use this card so you can use the rewards to reduce your honeymoon travel costs.

5. Let Bridesmaids Wear Their Own Dresses: No one likes getting stuck with an expensive dress they’ll never wear again. And nobody wears their bridesmaid dress a second time except maybe as a Halloween costume. If you allow your bridesmaids wear their own dresses they’ll save money, and you’ll know that they’ll be comfortable wearing a dress they picked out. They will be happy. You will be happy. It is a win-win. You can pick a certain color to coordinate them all, or help them look more similar by purchasing matching wraps to go with the dresses. Check out J. Crew’s bridesmaid dresses for some ideas.

The Prestige Preservation Mailing Kit: A Simple Post-Wedding Process!

Tuesday, 27 December, 2011 11:34

Post written by Karen Maxwell, General Manager at Prestige Preservation

If you are wondering how to best carry out the cleaning and preservation of your friend or daughter’s wedding gown after the reception consider using Prestige Preservations mailing kit.

Each mailing kit comes with a sturdy shipping box, return UPS shipping label (with $500.00 shipping insurance included) and a complete instruction form for you to use- making it easy to ship your gown to a Prestige Preservation Specialist from anywhere in the world.

Once you place your order online, we will send our mailing kit to your shipping address. In the mailing kit we include a UPS shipping label and tracking number for you to send your gown to the Prestige Preservation closest to you.

Our mailing kit makes it easy to have the bride’s wedding gown cleaned and preserved while she is on her honeymoon so it will be ready when the newly wedded couple returns home.

You will have peace of mind knowing that the bride’s gown has been cleaned and preserved for the future and every gown comes with a Lifetime Warranty.

The mailing packet is a great tool for the mother of the bride who has been given the task of having their daughter’s gown cleaned and preserved after the wedding.

It is a perfect gift from you to the bride and an easy button for you!

Top 5 Reasons To Have A Winter Wedding

Tuesday, 20 December, 2011 10:26

Post written by Karen Maxwell, General Manager of Prestige Preservation

Although many associate wedding season with the warmer months of the year, about one in three couples choose to tie the knot in the winter.

Here are the top 5 reasons why many couples are choosing to have a winter wedding:

Travel-Jet off to Europe and get married in the historic city of Prague or work on your tan while exchanging vows in Hawaii or the Caribbean. Many hotels have deals during this season so you will save money and it won’t be difficult to negotiate a good deal since it is off-season.
Seasonal menu-At a winter wedding, it is appropriate to mix in those comfort foods (soups, lasagna etc.) with traditional dishes. These types of foods are a nice change from the usual and are sure to set your wedding apart from the rest! You can also incorporate some of those wonderful winter beverages such as hot chocolate or eggnog.
Convenience-Planning a winter wedding that will coincide with a holiday such as Thanksgiving or Christmas is ideal because it will allow for more people to attend. Most people will already be traveling around this time of the year so it will be easier for guests to travel to your wedding.
Cost-Wedding statistics show that an average wedding can run up to $26,000, but having a winter wedding can save you up to 50%! This will leave you with some extra money to splurge on your honeymoon or that new car you’ve had your eye on.
Theme-Surrounded by the pristine white snow, winter can truly be a beautiful background for a wedding. Why not have a Fire and Ice or Winter Wonderland theme?

After your nuptials, remember to bring your gown in to a Prestige Preservation Specialist for cleaning and preservation. Your wedding memories are something that you will cherish forever and your gown deserves the same treatment!

Wedding Dresses With Pockets: Stylish And Functional!

Tuesday, 06 December, 2011 16:13

Aren’t these gowns beautiful and stylish? How smart to include pockets for the bride to put her tissue, lipstick, breath mints or her “something old”!

The new pockets are most certainly convenient for brides but added a little complication for one of our specialists last week. It turns out one of our brides left her “something old” in her gown pocket . The bride remembered she hadn’t checked that her pockets were empty before she dropped of her gown at the local dry cleaners.

Our gown specialist received a call from the bride regarding the missing item. They checked the pockets and found nothing. After some diligent work on the part of the specialist, we are happy to report that the “something old”, grandma’s handkerchief, was recovered! It apparently had slipped down between the lining and the gown. Needless to say, our bride was very happy to know that grandma’s handkerchief was now going to be preserved forever with the wedding gown.

As with anything new in the world of fashion, there is a period of adjustment for everyone. In the end, I vote for pockets and thank the thoughtful designer who made them fashionable!

-Post written by Karen Maxwell, General Manager of Prestige Preservation

Three Generations And Counting…This Wedding Dress Has Some Great Memories!

Tuesday, 22 November, 2011 10:39

A longtime goal of ours was recently accomplished by Prestige Preservation Specialist Ram Leather Care in St.Louis, MO.

The gown pictured to the right has been worn for three generations and now has been carefully preserved for years to come!

Ram has built their reputation with years of experience and expertise in wedding gown cleaning, restoring and preservation.

It’s important to know that all of our preservation specialists can work with any gown, whether it is a few months old or many years.

This story reflects my hope for my own wedding gown….that someday my daughter will wear it on her wedding day and make it her own. Of course gown styles come and go, but our gown specialists can easily do minor alterations, repairs and tailoring to meet your needs.

So to all of you future brides out there…think about it! Before you purchase a new wedding gown, bring your mother’s gown to Ram Leather Care or any of our other Prestige Preservation Specialists to see how you can make it your own and carry on the tradition!

Take Care Of Your Gown BEFORE Your Wedding Day Too…Here’s How!

Tuesday, 15 November, 2011 10:45

You spent hours looking for the perfect dress and months planning your wedding. With your wedding day behind you, it’s back to reality. You pull your dress out of your closet and begin to search for a reputable place to have your gown cleaned and preserved.

With that in mind, I have a good story to share with you…

We received a call from a customer recently who had her daughter’s gown cleaned and she called to say “Thank you!” She went on to tell us that the wedding pictures turned out beautiful but unfortunately the pictures were taken in a park where the grass had just been freshly mowed. You can imagine how green the hem line was!

They left the park and went over some pavement and then the hemline was covered with ground-in dirt! Then it was off to the reception, where the hemline dragged across the floor while her daughter danced all night long.

So what saved her hemline?
It was a good dose of fabric protector, sprayed on the hemline BEFORE her wedding day. A silicone-based spray, when used according to application instructions, gives the fabric a barrier from the elements such as grass stains, dirt, makeup and more.

When they brought the gown in after the wedding to be cleaned and preserved, we informed her that her gown would be cleaned and prespotted to remove as many of the stains as possible while being careful not to affect the fabric. After the cleaning process, the hemline came out much better than expected! Her daughter was delighted with the results and she was happy to preserve her gown for years to come.

Taking good care of your gown, before and after your wedding day, is a smart investment on one of the most treasured memories and artifacts of your life. If you have questions about this or any of our services, please contact one of our Preservation Specialists today!

Back From The Outback! The Prestige Preservation Annual Meeting in Australia Was A Great Success!

Wednesday, 02 November, 2011 12:10

On October 14^th our group of Prestige Preservation Specialists from Australia and New Zealand came together at the Stamford Resort in Adelaide for our Annual Meeting.

The meeting included a tour of fellow Prestige Preservation specialist Karl Chehade’s Dry Cleaning Plant. Karl’s plant services his 16 locations in Adelaide. We were impressed with the upgraded equipment and the efficiencies it created within his plant. Karl has initiated a number of Green initiatives in his operation to include the use of solar energy and his use of 100% GreenEarth for his dry cleaning operation.

For the rest of the meeting, Deborah Rechnitz from Green Earth Cleaning Australasia led the group in a discussion regarding upcoming bridal shows, in-store promotions, discussion and approval of our new 2012 wedding gown box design, and updates on equipment and territories.

The Australian group worked hard but took time out to take in the scenery. Adelaide was a perfect spot for the meeting and the Stamford Resort was a historic and scenic location on the beach. The area was also close to many wineries and we were fortunate to take a tour of the Adelaide wineries, including a tour of Maxwell’s Winery. (Hmmm…maybe it was named after me?) As you might imagine, I simply couldn’t leave without a bottle of wine to take home and enjoy with my husband.

In the end, I was sad to leave, but ready to get home. It was wonderful to be included and get the opportunity to meet so many of our Prestige Preservation Specialists in person. I can’t wait for the next Annual Meeting!

Ontario Fabricare Association’s Annual Meeting: Fun, Education and Innovation!

Tuesday, 18 October, 2011 07:25

Nottawasaga Resort

Last month we attended the Ontario Fabricare Association’s (OFA) Annual Meeting held at the Nottawasaga Inn just north of Toronto.

Brad Maxwell, President of the OFA and his team organized a fun and informative weekend. It was a wonderful opportunity for drycleaners across Ontario to connect and exchange ideas with their industry friends.

Brad is near and dear to our hearts for many reasons, one being that he is one of our Canadian Prestige Preservation Specialists. His company, Suedemaster, serves over 1200 drycleaners all over Ontario.

The OFA put together a packed agenda with topics ranging from marketing and website solutions to presentations about a number of the solvents currently available.

In addition, there was an informative open panel discussion headed by Jacquelyn E. Stevens from the firm of Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers that discussed best practices and how to prevent clean up and the costs associated with environmental contamination.

Ford's New Vehicle For Route Delivery

Another highlight was seeing the new vehicle Ford Canada brought to the show that is designed specifically for route delivery. Features include two sliding side doors, two swinging rear doors (180° swing!), and easy side and rear loading heights.

An added benefit is that it can be customized to your specifications in terms of the number of racks and shelving options. It is NOT a stripped down minivan! It has great style, is built with quality materials, and has plenty of storage to make it the perfect light-duty business vehicle.

Finally, Tim Maxwell, President of GreenEarth Cleaning, was on hand to present at an event hosted by Robert Kuenzlen, President of GreenEarth Cleaning Canada. Both GreenEarth and Prestige representatives discussed equipment, cleaning techniques and new marketing materials. It was wonderful opportunity to share ideas with our Canadian partners!

Thank you again to Brad and his team for including us. We look forward to the next meeting!

G’day Mate! Karen Maxwell Hits Australia For The Prestige Preservation Annual Meeting!

Tuesday, 11 October, 2011 09:58

Stamford Grand Adelaide Hotel

Karen Maxwell, General Manager of Prestige Preservation, is in Australia for the Prestige Preservation Annual Meeting and is visiting with specialists from the company’s locations in New Zealand and Australia.

The conference is being held in Adelaide at the Stamford Grand Adelaide Hotel.

Karen and other attendees are discussing all kinds of things including processing updates, an updated box design (new design for Australia market catering to their brides style and design), upcoming bridal shows, working with gown manufacturers, and welcoming new licensees. Karen is happy to report that the area and business opportunity in Australia is thriving right now!

Stay tuned for a future blog post where Karen will share everything she learned on this trip and how Prestige Preservation continues to grow across the globe!

Wedding Day Tips To Reduce Stress For Every Bride!

Tuesday, 13 September, 2011 11:00

Proper preparation for your wedding day will do wonders in taking away some of the jitters that every bride experiences on that special day.

One of the best ways to reduce stress on your wedding day is to have several “kits” and assign each kit to a bridesmaid. Examples of kits you’ll want to include are:

1. Wedding Gown Kit
Includes fabric glue, pins, needle and thread, small scissors and a Tide To Go stain remover stick for mishaps.

2. Hair Survival Kit
Hair spray, baby powder, bobby pins, extra curlers and hair product, curling iron and hair iron. You never know what Mother Nature will do to your hair!

3. Extras Kit
Includes extra hose, undergarments, comfortable shoes, nail file and polish, perfume, deodorant, moisturizer, make-up kit and band-aids.

4. Stress Reducer Kit
If you are getting ready at the church or hall, bring a few items to make it feel more comfortable for you such as your favorite music, beverages and healthy snacks.

Those are just a few ideas. What other items do you recommend or have you seen other brides use? Let us know your suggestions that helped make your wedding day as stress-free as possible!

Testimonials