The last step before the big one.

By the time your gown comes home, it’s been boxed, hung, and possibly traveled — and most fabrics hold onto that memory. A little steam the night before smooths it back out, but it’s worth doing carefully, because the wrong technique can do more harm than the wrinkle itself.

Start with distance. Garment steamers are gentler than irons for a reason, but even steam should stay a few inches from delicate fabrics like chiffon, tulle, or anything with beading — direct contact can warp fibers or loosen embellishments. Work in sections, from the top down, and let gravity help pull the wrinkles out as you go.

Certain fabrics deserve extra caution. Silk can water-spot if steam condenses and drips, so keep the steamer moving. Heavily beaded or sequined panels usually shouldn’t be steamed directly at all — a hand press from the reverse side, or simply hanging the gown in a steamy bathroom, is often safer.

If any of this makes you nervous, it should — this isn’t the moment to improvise. Bring the gown back to us a day or two before the wedding and we’ll press it properly, or ask your stylist for fabric-specific guidance when you pick it up. A rented steamer the night before a wedding is not the time to find out your fabric doesn’t like it.

This is one piece of the larger conversation — visit The Guide for more on caring for your gown in its final days before the wedding.