Tips for Transporting a Wedding Dress

Many couples choose to have a destination wedding to reduce their stress.  Going away to somewhere exciting or exotic should reduce a bride's worries.  I plan destination weddings in two cities; I plan weddings in Las Vegas and weddings in Central Park, New York.  One of the major concerns I hear from brides who have a destinations wedding is about their dress.  So, to help reduce those worries, here are some tips on how to transport your wedding dress.

Packing your wedding dress

When you buy your wedding dress it will come in a protective gown bag.  It would be sensible to keep it in this bag, it is likely to be a good fit for it.  If it does not come in a bag, then invest in a high-quality waterproof bag for the trip.  If you have any uncolored tissue paper, use this to protect any delicate areas of the dress.  If you do need to pack the dress into a box or case, use more tissue paper in between each fold, this should help to stop wrinkles from forming.  If you are very lucky, your dressmaker may pack the dress for you.  If not, they should at least be able to provide some advice.  They will know best how protect the delicate area of the dress.

Decide how to get your wedding dress to your location

The most important tip I have for many wedding-related worries, is that planning well ahead of time usually helps.  Do not leave the dress transport decision until the last minute, if you do, this could reduce your options and increased your costs.  There are three clear options on how to transport your dress:

Travelling with your wedding dress

A bride's dress is usually the second most important thing to her on the day (after her groom!) so many brides prefer to keep their dress close to them.  If you are driving to your wedding location then this is easy enough, just be careful to lay it flat on top of everything else in the car, but many brides fly in to Las Vegas or New York City.  Contact your airline to check their policy on weddings dresses as hand luggage.  Depending on your ticket, some airlines are happy to stow a suitably packed dress safely during the flight, but some will want the dress to travel as checked luggage.

Shipping or mailing your wedding dress with a courier

Some flights may not allow you to take your dress as carry-on luggage, and you may be nervous about checking your dress in with the rest of your luggage, or not want to pay high fees.  You may be able to ship your dress to your wedding location way ahead of time, then it can be waiting for you when you get there.  As long as you trust the shippers, this is the easiest way, you do not have to carry it, there is no risk of your groom seeing it before the wedding, and it carried a relatively low cost.  The only danger is of it being lost, late or misplaced, so always get your dress insured.  This option may be more appealing if you are staying with friends or family for your destination wedding, and you can have a responsible person look after it and have it pressed for you ahead of your arrival, and have it pressed for you.

Have a guest travel with your wedding dress

If you have a responsible friend or family member attending you may ask them to travel with your dress.  They do not have to be in the same car or plane as you are, as long as they will be at the destination in time for you to check the dress in advance of the wedding.  This could be the happy medium between the two above options.  You are not having to deal with a big bag on your flight, and you can enjoy the trip and your husband-to-be, but you have the peace of mind from knowing that it is in safe hands.

Unpacking your wedding dress

As soon as your wedding dress arrives at your location, you should hang it up somewhere clean and dry to relax any wrinkles that may have formed.  No matter how carefully you have packed it, it is likely that there will be some creases.  Many hotels in New York and Las Vegas offer a professional dry cleaning or pressing service, so it may be worth checking ahead of time if your hotel does this.  Also, some hotels will loan you a portable steamer.  Check with your dressmaker in advance what you can do to remove wrinkles from the particular fabric of your dress.  If the wrinkles are minimal, then hang your dress in a steamy bathroom for a little while.  Check the bathroom is completely clean and clear before doing this.  It might be best to do this in a guest's room, to avoid the groom seeing the dress!

Of course the wedding is also about the groom, and all these tips can be applied to his outfit, too, along with any bridesmaids' or attendants' dresses.

For more information on planning your Las Vegas wedding, or your Central Park wedding email Claire or visit her website. For updates, “like” the Las Vegas Bridesmaid page or the Central Park Weddings page on Facebook.