Flying With A Wedding Dress: A Destination Wedding Planner’s Advice

Something I’m often asked early within the planning journey of destination weddings is: ‘Do you’ve got any suggestions for flying with a marriage dress? How do I get it over there safely?’. In over a decade of planning luxury weddings overseas, I actually have never known a bride fail at this all-important task on my watch! Here I’ll dispel some myths about taking your wedding dress on a plane and expose my suggestions for its secure arrival – it is advisable to bookmark this one for later.

Myths About Flying With a Wedding Dress

I would like to start out by addressing a few common queries I get when talking to my couples about flying with their wedding dress, to allow you to avoid getting caught out or being upset. Firstly, as helpful as airlines will attempt to be on the day of your flight (more on that later), no carrier I actually have ever come across will guarantee you space for a marriage dress on board – even in the event you pay extra! You’ll all the time be redirected to their standard luggage allowances, and it isn’t possible to order cupboard or overhead locker space ahead of time.

Secondly, you will have heard people advising you to only book an additional seat on your wedding dress. In my experience, this isn’t allowed. You need to check in an actual person with an actual travel document for every seat you purchase, and any seats not checked in for might be given away to people on standby lists. Trying to bypass the foundations here could find yourself delaying your flight and causing confusion and problems – so don’t do it!

The ultimate thing to say here, which is less of a myth and more of a MUST…don’t be tempted to examine your wedding dress in as hold luggage. I counsel you don’t let it out of your sight, and so must be prepared to hold it onto the plane with you. With all this said, let’s have a look at how exactly you’ll be able to do that so it arrives ready so that you can wear.

Suggestions for Flying With a Wedding Dress

Booking your flights rigorously

In all my years of planning destination weddings, I actually have never known any of my brides have their wedding dress refused when boarding the plane. Generally speaking the cabin crew are all the time extremely helpful and can get it on the plane, and should even offer to store it in space for storing or the crew area for you. There are a couple of things you’ll be able to do prematurely to assist this process along and make it smoother, nonetheless.

When booking your flight, take into consideration which airline you’ll select. I like to recommend not flying with budget airlines because, as much as they wish to allow you to, they simply don’t have the space. Most times the flights are full and overhead locker space is all taken up, and so they don’t necessarily have large ‘behind the scenes’ areas in the way in which that larger airlines and planes do.

In case your budget will stretch to it, consider flying premium economy, club or business class – or no less than booking considered one of your seats in a better ‘class’. The explanation for that is twofold; firstly, your luggage allowance will robotically be greater and so that you’ll save on having to purchase extra suitcases and cabin baggage, and secondly you’ll find extra space for storage. Even in the event you just fly from the UK to Italy with British Airways, for instance, selecting to fly within the Club World section means you’ve got an additional ‘seat’ space in the course of a row – which is commonly where your wedding dress can sit!

Consider the travel when buying your dress

When you already know you might be having a destination wedding when buying your dress, think in regards to the indisputable fact that it can must travel. The more sleek and streamlined styles will travel more easily because they will pack right into a smaller space, and being aware of materials which might be less more likely to crush or crease might be helpful too.

That’s to not say I haven’t had brides travel with big, decadent dresses prior to now! It’s just something to concentrate on and plan for, because it’s rather a lot more to hold onto the plane with you. Flying with a marriage dress does undeniably require a little bit of advance planning.

Tips on how to package your dress for travel

I like to recommend you get your boutique or seamstress to assist pack your dress, as they’re professionals and know methods to package it without causing folds and creases that shall be difficult to get out. They’ll often put your dress into a giant garment bag, dustbag or perhaps a box, and it’s best to check that that is fully sealed to the weather before putting it onto the plane or in an overhead locker.

The precise way your dress is packaged will depend upon its size and material, but asking an authority to do it for you means it’s arranged in one of the best possible way. You shouldn’t unpack it again until you reach your destination.

What to do along with your wedding dress while you arrive at your destination

While you arrive after flying with a marriage dress, you’ll must hang it so it may well drop out any creases. This requires some advance thought and planning regarding where it can be hung, as many brides stick with their partners the night before the marriage but don’t want them to see the dress prematurely. When booking your accommodation, really consider whether there may be somewhere your dress might be hung full length and undisturbed.

Some wedding dresses must be steamed after they arrive, and I like to recommend getting knowledgeable involved for this. Take into consideration getting in contact with a neighborhood bridal boutique, seamstress or dresser to see if they may work with you to allow you to prepare your dress for a fee. I often advise my brides that in the event that they bought a selected brand of wedding dress, they need to search for a stockist of that brand within the local area. Otherwise, we are able to look for somebody local on considered one of our planning trips to assist.

Other options include arranging for a service to return to your hotel room to allow you to steam and prep, and having a dedicated dresser on the marriage day who may also help – this can be useful for any last minute emergencies like little sewing jobs and fiddly buttons.

Asking your hotel to send it out to their laundry for steaming is an option I don’t recommend, unless it’s a 5* hotel for instance. It just isn’t definitely worth the risk of letting such a vital garment out of your sight.

Bonus wedding morning prep tip: With regards to selecting your accommodation properly, consider whether the room you book to prepare in goes to be large enough on your dress, any bridesmaid dresses, hair and make up artists and so forth…don’t depend on potential last minute upgrades, or hoping for one of the best! You’ll also must take into consideration check in and take a look at times of prep rooms, and whether to ask housekeeping to rearrange before and after prep turndowns.

Flying with a marriage dress can feel daunting, because it’s such a precious item you’ve probably invested highly in. With the following tips you’ll be able to feel confident that you simply’re doing right by your gown, and while you work with Elegante by Michelle J in your destination wedding you’ll have me supporting you thru every detail of the method – including dress transportation!

You’ll find lots more advice on destination wedding planning and preparation on our blog, including: