Heritage Garment Preservation

I had such a positive experience with this company. They cleaned and preserved my daughter's wedding gown, including repairing a few small things. It was carefully handled and the repairs were done flawlessly. They constantly communicated with me in every step of the process. The finished product is a beautiful gown that looks brand new. They do an amazing job and provide outstanding customer service! I highly recommend this company!

I just got my dress back and Heritage Garment Preservation did an absolutely amazing job! They had great communication from the beginning, were really nice, answered all of my questions, helped me select the best packaged for my dress that included cleaning and preservation (the Heritage Couture), and caught some things I had missed on my dress during their intake assessment. 10/10 would recommend.

For reference, I sent my Enaura dress (that included and illusion neckline and a ton of beading) to them 4-ish months after my wedding. It had had rips to the sleeves (fixed), a dirty hemline (cleaned) and the bustle had been broken (also fixed). The bag that it came in was also very high quality.

I purchased my wedding dress on stillwhite, a second hand retailer. When the dress arrived it had minor yellowing around the skirt, some mud where the skirt it hit the ground, and a snag of lace here and there. I was a bit distraught as I was not informed of any stains on the gown. I sent it to Heritage hoping they could restore the dress to its original condition. When the dress was returned to me, it was immaculate! I mean every single stain was totally lifted. So yeah, I would absolutely recommend using this service, I could not be more satisfied.

I highly recommend Heritage Garment Preservation! I planned to send my vintage wedding dress to a dry cleaner in New York with whom my seamstress had a long-standing relationship. Unfortunately, they closed in late March because of COVID-19. I contacted Heritage Garment Preservation in a panic and spoke to Suzanne who kindly explained HGP’s cleaning process (they inspect your gown upon arrival, write up a unique treatment plan for your dress, use products that are environmentally friendly and communicate with you throughout the entire process of your gown care). She was so friendly and patient. Soon after, my dress was off to Texas. This was a giant leap of faith because I live on the East Coast. Sending my wedding dress to Texas seemed crazy at the time but it was the very best decision! Once it arrived, Amanda, one of their cleaning specialist, expressed several serious concerns about my dress but assured me that they would do everything they could to restore it to its original beauty. In a little less than two weeks, my dress was returned to me and it is so beautiful! I cried tears of joy as I was unpacking it. I’m so thankful to the HGP team for the outstanding work they did restoring my dress.

I did a lot of research on wedding gown cleaning and preservation before deciding to go with Heritage. I had a couple suggestions from different friends and vendors, but ultimately, after reading an article from the Wall Street Journal, and comparing many options, I felt the most comfortable with Heritage. For me, it was important to be able to see that my gown was clean and properly preserved. I also heard a horror story from my best friend and Matron of Honor regarding her "box company" experience.

I chose the Heritage Select Museum Method for an Average-sized gown. I ordered a shipping kit, extra insurance, a Custom Preservation Label, and a Bouquet Preservation Box. I also discovered their Payment Plan and a discount/promo, both of which helped a lot financially!

I was very pleased with the end result. The gown was very well packaged, and the cotton preservation bag itself was wrapped nicely in another vinyl garment bag (for protection). The cotton preservation bag is great--clean and sturdy, and I feel comfortable storing my dress in it. The Custom Preservation Label is a great touch, and they included white gloves to be worn when handling the gown. When I opened the cotton preservation bag, I was happy and relieved to see my gown there, clean, and pristine. I checked the skirts, which were packed in acid-free tissue, and was ecstatic to see that they were clean. When my seamstress made the bustle for my dress, she added a small blue flower in the skirts which had gotten very dirty by the end of my wedding night. The small blue flower was all clean!

I would say the cost is in the mid-price range when comparing all the options. You can check their Current Discounts or Facebook pages for ongoing promotions. Overall, I will say it was well worth the price. They did a fantastic job, and their customer service is great! They even wrote a blog post about my wedding dress story, which was very sweet.

Overall a great experience with Heritage Garment Preservation. All the ladies are knowledgeable, helpful, and professional. I ended up getting two wedding dresses and a veil persevered from across the country with out any problems. My sister in-law referred the company to me and has also used them for her gown and veil. Highly recommend their honestly and services.

Heritage did an amazing job on my wedding dress - fixing a hem tear and cleaning the dress in general. I love that they offer the option to get your dress sent back in a nice hanging garment bag, rather than stuffed in that cardboard box with the thin plastic window. I liked the idea that any time I wanted to, I could just open the garment bag up and see my entire gown. Out of all the wedding dress preservation companies that I researched, Heritage offered the best options.

To all the beautiful new brides or brides to be...Heritage Garment is a detail oriented, thorough and professional company who will provide you with excellent service in a timely manner. They preserved my wedding dress 5 years ago and it still looks amazing! These ladies will also go above and beyond to make sure you are happy with their work. Your dress will be a well preserved memory for a very long time. I would recommend them to everyone in need of garment preservation. Thank you for your excellent work Kathy and Carmina!

I had two daughters married in two years, and Heritage has taken care of both of their dresses. The first dress has been cleaned meticulously and came back in a beautiful cloth garment bag, complete with an embroidered tag and gloves for handling the dress if necessary. The second dress is being preserved currently and I have no doubt it will arrive in the same perfect condition!
Also, Kathy rescued us from a dress emergency. It was not fitting properly and she remade the bodice in just a couple of days. Amazing talent, skill, and beautiful results. We went from tears to smiles. Highly recommend!

HGP did an amazing job on my dress! I didn't know for sure if I wanted to preserve my gown and I am SO glad that I did! My dress looks just as good it did on my wedding day and I hope my future daughter is interested in wearing it...

I got the Museum Method and I love it! If you have a closet with a little extra space I think this method is perfect. I can show my friends my gown or just take a peek when I am feeling nostalgic :)

I thought the price seemed a little high at first, but when once I shopped around I realized it wasn't and now that I have it back, I know it was well worth it!

I couldn’t be happier with Heritage Garment Preservation! I left it to the last minute and was scrambling to find some way to preserve/clean my wedding dress after my wedding. Three days after my wedding, I moved 4500 miles across the globe and didn’t have any way to take it with me on the plane - so when I say I was scrambling, I really mean it! I did some google searching and I am SO GLAD that I found HGP. Not only did they do an INCREDIBLE job, but they were SO great with communicating and keeping me updated. I was worried about cost because the bottom of my dress also got significantly dirty on my wedding day, but HGP was very, very reasonable. I give them 14 stars out of ten!

My wedding dress was a dream and I hope it will be a family heirloom. After spending hours searching for "the dress" I wasn't satisfied with any of the options (or the pricing!). Fortunately, my mother is an incredibly talented seamstress. We hand designed the dress and my mother did her magic with mixing patterns and altering designs. We went to a specialty fabric store and selected beautiful materials to use. My mother hand embroidered detailing on my dress. For evenings leading up to the wedding my mother custom fit the dress on my body. These are memories I will treasure forever. The day of my wedding I heard what every bride appreciates: gasps and ahhs over my wedding gown. It really was a dream. And then came pictures. My darling husband wanted to do some artsy shots in the nearby woods. I was terrified of damaging my dress. Though he tried to carry me (quite a picture) my dress still took a small beating. Add that to an outdoors reception, the white at the bottom was looking quite dingy. After an amazing evening, our classic 1930's chauffeured car broke down on the way to the hotel. Another picture. After waiting for a replacement vintage car, the owners did a switcheroo and brought a personal vehicle to pick us up. It was filthy. My husband squoze into the back seat (two door car) and I sat in the front. It was covered in french fries, old stains, and filth. By the time we got to the hotel, the bottom of my dress and the back was a disaster. In tears I worried that my dress would be ruined and not be able to become the family heirloom I had hoped for. Cried too soon! My sister had used Heritage Gown Preservation and assured me that they would be able to help. I sent my dress in.... voila! My dress is back to near perfect condition. The few tears were gone and the hem looks fresh. The appliques on the bodice were fixed and no stains remaining from the day's adventures. I couldn't believe it! It truly looks as good as it did on our wedding day. I am so excited to have this dress cleaned and preserved so that I can continue to appreciate it and pass it on to my children.

I was very impressed with the quality of cleaning from Heritage Garment Preservation. My dress had been through multiple outdoor photoshoots, my wedding day, and two outdoor receptions and was noticeably dirty. The dress came back spotless and looking beautiful. I recommend this company to anyone.

I loved the results I got from this company. I thought they had great customer service from the time I inquired until I got the dress. My dress had gone through a lot but I was determined to find a place that could make it as good as possible. They did. It looked basically the same as it did the day I got married and it is so conveniently stored in my house hanging up. I knew that they were located at a house but it didn't make much of a difference. They were professional and the explained to me the kinds of services they use during every part of the cleaning process. Hats off to them (and my gorgeous dress of course!)

This company sends their gowns out to be cleaned. They used to wash gowns out of their garage. No kidding! The Mccall address is a home.

I called Benicia Cleaners and they confirmed that they are cleaning the gowns for Heritage Garment.  When I called the City of Benicia I was told that Heritage Garment is NOT allowed or permitted to dry clean on site. When I contacted DLI ( a dry cleaners membership) I was told that Heritage Garment is strictly considered a drop off location. Take a look on other reviews sites like Yelp (some filtered) and you'll see that other reviewers have also discovered what I did - its a scam!

I called the Smithsonian Museum and spoke with a textile conservator who told me that hanging a gown long term is not the best bet.  She also said that when a dry cleaner mentions lifetime warranties the bride should run away as fast as possible.  Its against museum practices to claim lifetime warranty.

A great website doesn't make them more than what they really are, a middle man who charges you much more than you could have paid your local cleaner. I have contacted the Wall Street Journal who mentioned Heritage as one of the best preservation services around but after showing them all the info I gathered with proof, they are now looking like fools who have been had by a great sales job! All they had to do was use Google maps to see this was a home and not a business location. First clue - you think? They did recently move into a business park but with no cleaning machines. Do your homework and don't be fooled!!!

I have called five times and left four messages over the past week. I have heard nothing in response. Such a disappointment! Maybe they have gone out of business? Can anyone recommend another wedding dress cleaner to send to? My daughter's dress is really dirty! Thank you!

They damaged my Monique Lhuillier wedding gown!!

I ordered cleaning service without preservation and the cost was $320.00.  The customer service up front was good.  The problems started once I opened the box and immediately noticed that my gown was dark and dingy and the bodice was pressed so hard that there were creases on the bodice where before these were rolled soft folds.  This detail was one of the reasons I bought the gown.  I took a piece of fabric that wasn’t cleaned and compared that to the gown.  It was clear the gowns color had changed and was no longer the same.

Recognizing that my gown was damaged I asked my mother to contact Heritage Garment for follow up.  Here’s how it went:

4/16 My mom emailed their customer service agent Carmina explaining the gowns condition and expressing how disappointed we were.

4/17 Carmina responds saying that she will “consult with her associates” on how they were going to solve the problem and she would get back to me.

4/I7 Carmila ask to contact me.  My mom replies that she will handle this since she lives locally and I live in NYC.

4/26 Heritage Garment sends me a request to review them on Yelp and The Knot.  Obviously, they have an automatic system that they do not monitor carefully.  Do they really think my review would be positive after they damaged the gown and we were unhappy?

5/17 My mom sends Carmina a message saying that she took my gown to 3 different dry cleaners in her local area including the gown cleaner I was referred to first, and each cleaner confirmed that the gowns color was damaged and couldn’t be fixed.  We decided to ask Heritage Garment to reimbursed us for the damages and the cost of the service.  Carmila then ask to have the gown returned to them to fix. She claims that those other cleaners are not experienced to fix the gown. What?

5/20 Carmina emails my mom the following:

Dear Roberta, just a quick note to let you know that we've received your mail and the copy of your daughter's mail. I'm consulting with my partners and with our lawyer right now.  We will have the answer for you tomorrow or the day after. Thank you for your patience.

11/25/13  As of today, Carmina has had well over 5 months to seek legal advice but still no response to our messages or any refund.  Maybe this was a stall tactic or perhaps a way to try to intimidate us?  Well, if that’s what they thought, they are sadly confused.  I will make it my mission to bring awareness that his company is not who and what they say they are.

I am now considering filing a formal complaint with the Contra Costa DA’s office for fraud since this company led us to believe that they were personally cleaning my gown on site however, they can’t dry clean on site since they are not licensed by the City of Benicia to do so. Their permit only allows them to wash gowns in the two bathtubs in the back room of their establishment. Any gowns requiring to be dry cleaned MUST be sent away to clean.  So, we paid $320.00 to have Heritage Garment send my gown to the local Benicia drycleaner who cleans gown for $125.00.  Yep, that’s what I got for $320.00 and don’t forget a damaged gown too!

Thinking of using this company?  Consider my experience as a warning…this could happen to you too!