For proper wedding dress preservation, you will first need to get your dress dry-cleaned. Ideally, this will happen very shortly after your wedding, as the longer you wait the more time the stains will have to set.

As far as storage options, you should always use a box. A garment bag generally contains plastic, and plastic will inevitably discolor or destroy your dress.

The box you use should be acid-free. If your dry cleaner is offering a plain old cardboard box, do not accept it. In fact, I would not even trust that cleaner with your dress at all. I would look for a cleaner that has experience in wedding dress preservation. Make sure that the cleaner you select does not use Perchloroethylene on wedding dresses as this cleaning solution is too harsh and can melt beading and/or damage delicate fabrics. Also make sure the cleaner uses a freshly distilled or virgin solvent for your dress, as using old solvent is what causes that “dry cleaner” smell, and you will want your dress to be odor-free when you put it on in five years.

Cost will run you anywhere from $150 to $500. The biggest determining factor in cost is the amount of cleaning needed. So if your dress has a lot of stains from your special day, it is going to cost you more to clean. The type of dress is also a factor.

Once the dress is cleaned, it should be folded and protected with tissue paper (also acid-free) and then placed into the box. You will need to store the box with your dress under a bed or in a closet free from moisture and sunlight to ensure that it stays in tip-top shape for you to don again in 5 short years.
Source(s):
http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com/wedding-dress-preservation.html
http://newlyweds.about.com/od/afterthewedding/a/gowncleaning_2.htm

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