Packing and Traveling With Your Wedding Dress

Since a destination wedding involves traveling,  packing and transporting your wedding dress presents a dilema for most brides. 

NEVER put the dress in your checked luggage if you are flying.  Pack the dress in your carry on luggage or carry on the dress in a  garment bag and put it in the overhead bin.  If the airline loses your luggage, you have your dress.  A tuxedo can be easily rented at your destination, you can't replace your wedding dress at the last minute!  Ask the flight attendant if they have a closet onboard to hang your dress. 

NEVER leave the dress in a hot car for a long period of time. The heat can set in wrinkles and discolor the dress or beading if you pack it in a plastic garment bag.   We suggest you use a breathable garment bag that will allow the dress to breathe and will not cause the plastic to cause oxidation on your dress.  For more information, click here: Breathable Garment Bag for Wedding Dress

Never leave your dress unattended while you travel. 

Most resorts that host destination weddings will steam your dress for you at little or no cost before the wedding.  They are trained to handle wedding gowns.  Ask when you make your reservations whether they will steam your gown or if they can recommend someone who can do it when you arrive.

 If you are marrying at a place that doesn't offer the service, you can do several things. 

• Pack the dress to eliminate the most wrinkles.  Lay the dress on a flat surface either on a clean floor or on a bed.  Pack the dress with tissue paper in the folds and put the dress in a plastic dry cleaners bag. You can add more tissue paper if necessary.  Gently fold the plastic garment bag into fourths, using a rolling motion,  making sure it is all inside the bag.  If your gown has a train, pull the train up to the back neckline, place it in the bag and begin folding. 

Lay Dress Flat on flat surface                              Lay white tissue paper in folds

 Fold Dress lengthwise                              Slide dress into plastic dry cleaner bag

Fold dress in bag in fourths                            Dress is packed and ready to be put in your carry on!

• Your dress can be transported using a breathable garment bag.  Hang the dress on a hanger using the ribbon dress hangers under the arms of the dress.  Always use the dress hangers to hang up the dress because it will keep the dress from stretching and loosing its shape.  Hang up the train on the hanger  the using the train loop located on the underside of the train. Put the dress into the garment bag.  Now for the most important part.  Put your name, cell phone number and final destination and phone number in the outer pocket of the garment bag and on the inside of the bottom of the  bag just in case you become separated from your dress.  Take the garment bag, fold it in fourths and it will easily fit in the overhead bin of the aircraft.  Please note in the photos below the flash makes the garment bag look see through, it is opaque and you can't see through the bag.

Hang dress & train                      Insert in bag                              Put ID information in pocket              Ready for the overhead bin or car!

When you arrive at your destination, immediately hang up your wedding dress.  Some of the wrinkles will fall out of the dress when you hang it up.  Don't attempt to iron the dress yourself.  The hotel irons are not made to press out a wedding dress.  Don't risk scortching the fabric and beading of your dress or having it spit water on the dress and leave water rings on the fabric.  Also, don't use a home steamer on your wedding dress, it doesn't have enough power and may water stain your dress.

Professional tip: If you haven't made arrangements to have your dress steamed or pressed professionally, use a hair dryer on the wrinkles.   Yes, an ordinary hair dryer.  The heat will make the wrinkles and the fabric relax.  Just hold the hairdryer on high heat and hold it about a foot away from the dress.  Blow the heat on the wrinkle until it starts to relax.

Travel Essentials. Click here to see The Sharper Image's travel products.

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