Destination Wedding | Dress and Packing Tips

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Finding the right dress for your destination wedding and packing tips

Joni Bilderback is back with part two of our series on destination wedding tips! If you didn’t catch her first post, check out here!

Destination Wedding Tip: How to Transport Your Dress

-Ok, this is a biggie. Transporting the dress of your dreams may feel a little scary, but it doesn’t have to be! Store your dress in a garment bag or have it professionally packaged. Some airlines are prepared to hang your dress for you and if not, you can store it in the overhead compartment. Never let it go into checked luggage since we all know what kind of reputation airlines have with those!

Destination Wedding Tip: What to Ship, Check, & Carry On

-Destination weddings usually offer incredible scenery so you don’t have to invest as much of your design energy and dollars on decor or other material things. I mean, your guests are going to remember watching that amazing sunset over the mountains before they will your wedding favor. With a more minimalist approach, you don’t have to worry about transporting as many items! I’m an incredibly light packer, so I think whether your destination is a warm, sunny beach at a fairytale Cape Cod wedding venue, or it’s icy and cold, like the Swiss Alps in winter, you can find ways to skip on bringing a lot of stuff (you need way less than you think!) If you do want a decadent design, consider hiring someone local to the area to design and source the items or a designer local to your own area that is experienced in destination weddings.

-If you are getting married within your country, I think it would be the least stress-inducing to ship your decor and other non-essential things. This is a frequent travelers tip; you can mail anything to a specific post office (via general delivery) or UPS store and they will hold it for you for 10 to 30 days. Pick the office closest to your destination and contact them to make sure they offer this service, how long they are willing to hold your packages and their preferences on addressing your package. Ship well ahead of time in case of delays and keep an eye on tracking numbers.

-If you are traveling outside of your country the safest option is to put your decor and other non-essential items in a carry on so they don’t get trapped in customs without anyone to defend them! Some countries have bans on specific goods so be wary of those and keep receipts, cut or cover labels, and bring an invitation as proof of no intention of resale. You can also consider distributing the goods across several family members and friends suitcases.

-Have a plan on what you’d like to do with your items afterward. Do you want to ditch the suitcase and all of the goods entirely or do you want some of them to come home with you? Keep your end goal in mind as you shop for goods and suitcases.

-I’ve got to touch on what has priority for your carry on suitcase. Besides the dress (top priority, obviously), this space needs to be reserved for items that CANNOT be replaced if lost in transit. This can be anything from your personal care (like prescriptions, contacts, difficult to find/custom toiletries) to wedding supplies (rings, paperwork, family heirloom items, or accessories that are important). The bikini you want to wear on your honeymoon, your favorite toothpaste brand, or the vase that you want at your reception can technically be re-bought at a store near your destination in a pinch. As a pro packer, I like to list or lay everything out on the floor and make 3 piles. One pile will represent what absolutely needs to go into the carry-on,  and the others will represent the “maybes” and the low priority items. Once the carry on is packed, you can see if there is any room left for a few “maybe” items and the rest go into a checked bag or shipping box.

Destination Wedding Tip: How to Select the Right Dress for Your Destination

-If you have yet to select your dress, consider finding fabrics that don’t wrinkle, are lightweight for travel, and fit the climate and scene of your wedding location! You might struggle with a heavy ball gown in humidity and sand, while a mermaid gown in cold weather won’t hide leggings and boots! Sophia’s can help you find the dress that fits you and your destination the best! [Jessica, feel free to edit this last sentence to fit you guys]  

-If you have already found the dress of your dreams and it is a little prone to wrinkles, no worries make sure you will have access to steam it upon your arrival.

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey! If you’re looking for more destination wedding advice, I offer exclusive tips and resources to all of my clients! Let’s get in touch!

FOR THE PERFECT WEDDING

private-label-weddind-dress-ball-gown-e1584217119192

FOR THE BRIDE

find your dream dress at Sophia’s

TUXEDOS

complete the whole look

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

visit any of our locations

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