Planning a Destination Wedding? How to Keep Your Gown Intact While Traveling

More and more Americans are now opting for destination weddings at exotic locations within the country or countries like Jamaica, Mexico, Hawaii, or Europe. If you’re one of the 25% couples wanting to choose a fabulous place to exchange your vows, know that you’ll likely make a whole list of arrangements to make sure the ceremony progresses without a hitch. One of the most crucial plans to make is how to bring your wedding gown to the venue without the possibility of damaging it. Consider checking with the designer who makes the dress for you or contacting the wedding dress preservation company you’ve chosen. Ask about any specific precautions to take to maintain the beauty of the gown when traveling to and from your destination wedding.

Here are a few vital points to keep in mind. After all, that precious gown could be a future heirloom piece that you hand down to your daughters and granddaughters.

Check the Airline Company for Special Arrangements

At the time of booking your destination wedding tickets, you may want to check with the airline for their regulations regarding bringing a wedding dress. Although most airlines are gracious and accommodating, you may want to prepare for the chance that they may not have adequate cabin space to hang up your gown. Like this article on The Knot explains, your precious outfit is safest only if you bring it on board as a carry-on item. Accordingly, make enquires about the permitted weight and dimensions of the bag you’re allowed to carry. Also ask if you’ll be required to pay additional charges for excess baggage or go through extensive baggage checks.

While it is always advisable not to store the dress on a hanger, you could place a special request to allow it to travel it in first-class storage. Alternatively, ask if the overhead bins are large enough to take the gown in a horizontal position. Of course, if the plane is booked to capacity, it may be hard to find the space. Further, if the aircraft is too small, the staff may require that you check in the precious garment. So, make sure you have all the information in place before you finalize your booking.

Arrive at the Terminal Ahead of Time

Most airline hostesses are happy to help you store the gown so it arrives for your destination wedding without any wrinkles, creases, or ripping. Make it a point to arrive at the gate ahead of time and explain your situation to the ground staff and airline crew. For instance, Delta Airlines has a dedicated website for wedding travelers where they offer you the Early Valet program. You will be directed to arrive 45 minutes before takeoff and the flight attendants will stow your dress in an overhead compartment right above your seat so you can keep an eye on it.

Choose the Right Baggage for the Wedding Dress

Like this feature on SmarterTravel advises, choose the right luggage to bring your formal attire to the wedding venue. You can conveniently travel with soft-sided bags so choose garment bags that pack in the gown full-length without the need for folding. Considering that you’ll likely have other carry-on items, it helps if the bag has sections to hold extra items that you absolutely need for the flight to your destination wedding. When packing the dress insert the hanger first and then, fold the sides of the dress into the length of the bag. Gather the train and lay it flat on the gown from the bottom up. Carefully zip it up holding one finger under the chain to prevent accidental snagging and tearing. To avert any accidents, consider getting a professional or preferably, the designer to pack the couture carefully into the garment bag as TripAdvisor recommends. And, do remember to pack in a steamer to refresh the dress when you’re ready to wear it.

At the time of buying the luggage, make sure that it can pass screening through an X-ray machine. Though, if needed, airport officials may want to manually check the gown. Rest assured that they will use utmost precaution to keep the dress protected and will wear white gloves when handling it as the folks at TSA (Transport Security Administration) explain.

Buy an Extra Ticket for the Wedding Dress

If your budget allows it, consider buying an extra ticket for your dress to travel to the destination wedding. You can always chance that the plane won’t be fully booked and you can find an empty seat for the gown to ride free of cost. But, an added advantage of the extra ticket is that you will be allowed to carry one more piece of hand luggage into the plane. Now that’s a convenience which can be especially handy if you want to pack the accessories separately and bring them onboard. If the aircraft is small in size or if the travel time is longer, it may be advisable to invest in a first-class ticket or priority boarding. In this way, you can be sure that you’ll have enough room to stow the wedding gown safely.

Ask for Directions for Repackaging the Dress

Simply getting the valuable outfit to the destination wedding is not enough. You also need to plan for how to bring it back home without damage. A good move is to update your wedding dress cleaning company and ask about the extra care of the dress you must take before you can get it to them for cleaning and preservation. If needed, bring the preservation kit with you to the venue so you can have a close friend pack it away and ship it to the cleaners.

Planning a destination wedding can be stressful as it is. And, if you can make all the arrangements in advance, you could save on a lot of anxiety. Check with family and friends for tips on the essential pointers to keep in mind. Also, request them to keep an eye out for any areas you may forget to plan for. With some help, you could plan a fabulous wedding that you enjoy as much as your guests!