Travelling with a wedding dress can be nerve-wracking, but it doesn’t have to be.
Proper preparation will keep your dress safe and flawless, whether driving to a local venue, flying to a destination wedding, or even wearing your gown during the journey.
This guide outlines the best practices for travelling with a wedding dress to ensure it arrives in perfect condition and is ready for your big day.
Let’s get straight to the point
Proper planning can make travelling with your wedding dress stress-free.
For flying, carry your dress as hand luggage or buy an extra seat, but avoid checking it in. When driving, lay it flat in the back seat, hang it up, and avoid the trunk.
On trains, pack the dress in a large suitcase with tissue paper between layers. If shipping, use a trusted company to insure the dress and ship it early.
For all methods, use a high-quality garment bag, pack accessories separately, and bring a steamer for wrinkles. Focus on careful handling to ensure your dress arrives in perfect condition.
1. Flying With A Wedding Dress
Flying with your wedding dress is a common concern for brides, especially with the possibility of lost luggage, limited space, and handling issues. Here are your best options for safely transporting your dress by air:
Hanging A Wedding Dress On A Plane
Some airlines offer onboard closets for garment bags. This is one of the best options to prevent wrinkles and damage.
Contact the airline ahead of time to confirm whether this service is available on your flight.
Carrying A Wedding Dress As Hand Luggage
If a closet isn’t available, your next best option is to carry the dress as hand luggage. Here’s how to do it:
- Pack it in a garment bag: Lay the garment bag flat in the overhead bin. Ensure it’s placed in first to avoid other passengers’ bags crushing it.
- Buy an extra seat: If you want to ensure maximum safety, some brides opt to purchase an extra seat for the dress. This allows the gown to be laid flat or hung nearby during the flight.
Avoid Checking Your Wedding Dress
Never check your wedding dress as luggage. Doing so risks loss, damage, or delays, which can be devastating just before your wedding. Keep it with you in the cabin at all times to ensure its safety.
Essential Air Travel Tips
- Contact the airline beforehand to ask about special arrangements, such as early boarding to secure space in the overhead bins.
- Don’t rely on the closet: Not all planes are equipped with closets, so have a backup plan if the hanging space is unavailable.
2. Travelling By Car With A Wedding Dress
Travelling by car gives you more control over your wedding dress, but it still requires care. Here’s how to keep your dress safe during a road trip:
Laying The Dress Flat
The best way to transport a wedding dress by car is to lay it flat in the back seat or hang it from the car’s interior hooks. Here’s what to do:
- Clear the back seat: Ensure the seat is clean and free from any clutter.
- Lay the dress flat: Place the garment bag across the back seat, allowing the skirt and bodice to spread out as much as possible.
- Hang it up: Alternatively, hang the dress on one of the car’s interior hooks, ensuring the skirt isn’t bunched up.
Avoid The Trunk
Do not store the dress in the trunk. The limited space may cause wrinkles, and there’s also a higher risk of moisture or dirt damaging the gown.
Car Travel Tips
- Keep the car cool: Avoid leaving the dress in a hot car, as certain fabrics can warp or wrinkle in the heat.
- Avoid food and drinks in the car to prevent accidental spills near your dress.
3. Taking A Train With A Wedding Dress
Travelling by train presents unique challenges, especially regarding space. If you’re planning to take your wedding dress on a train, follow these steps:
Packing The Dress For Train Travel
Since train compartments are often smaller than plane cabins, packing the dress in a suitcase may be necessary. Here’s what you can do:
- Use a rolling suitcase: Pack the dress in a large rolling suitcase, laying it flat with tissue paper between the layers to minimise creases.
- Store it in the overhead compartment: Place the suitcase or garment bag in the overhead compartment, ensuring no heavy luggage is placed on top of it.
- Carry it with you if possible: If space allows, bring the dress in a garment bag and keep it close by, especially on shorter trips.
Train Travel Tips
- Avoid peak travel times: Rush hour can mean crowded compartments, which increases the risk of the dress being accidentally damaged.
- Always keep the dress in sight to prevent mishandling by other passengers.
4. Travelling While Wearing A Wedding Dress
In some cases, brides may choose to travel while wearing their wedding dress, especially if the ceremony and reception venues are close by. However, this comes with unique considerations.
Tips For Travelling While Wearing Your Dress
- Choose your transport wisely: Opt for a private car or limo service to avoid the risk of public transport mishaps.
- Keep the dress clean: Lay a clean sheet or blanket over the seat of the vehicle to protect the dress from dirt or dust.
- Avoid long trips: Travelling while wearing your wedding dress is only advisable for short distances to avoid excessive creasing or accidents.
5. Packing A Wedding Dress For Travel
Packing your wedding dress properly is the key to ensuring it remains in pristine condition throughout the journey. Here’s how to pack it the right way:
- Use a high-quality garment bag: Ideally, use the one provided by the bridal shop. If you don’t have one, purchase a durable bag specifically designed for wedding gowns.
- Fold carefully to avoid creases: Tuck the sleeves under the bodice, fold the skirt over the bodice, and then wrap the entire dress in unbleached muslin or tissue paper to protect it from direct damage.
- Wrap it in plastic for moisture protection: Adding an extra layer of plastic around the garment bag can provide a barrier against moisture during transit.
Important Packing Tips
- Never cram the dress into a small suitcase. If you must use a suitcase, turn the dress inside out to reduce the risk of external damage.
- Tissue paper between layers can minimise creasing if folding is unavoidable.
6. Packing Accessories For Your Wedding Dress
When travelling with your wedding dress, don’t forget the accessories that complete your look, such as the veil, jewellery, shoes, and undergarments.
How To Safely Pack Accessories
- Separate storage: Pack accessories like the veil and jewellery in a separate box or suitcase to prevent damage.
- Use a garment bag with pockets: Some garment bags come with compartments for small accessories, ensuring everything is in one place.
- Carry-on essentials: Pack all accessories in your carry-on luggage when flying to avoid losing them if your checked luggage is delayed or lost.
Accessory Packing Tips
- Wrap delicate items in tissue paper to avoid tangling or scratching.
- Label all bags clearly to avoid confusion when unpacking.
7. Shipping A Wedding Dress: Is It A Good Option?
Shipping a wedding dress is an alternative if you’re uncomfortable travelling with it. However, this method requires careful planning and risk management.
How To Ship A Wedding Dress Safely
- Use a trusted shipping company: Opt for services that provide tracking services and reliable delivery times.
- Purchase insurance: Always insure your wedding dress in case of loss or damage during transit.
- Pack securely: Use a strong box and plenty of tissue paper or plastic wrap to protect the dress during shipping. Mark the package as “fragile”.
Shipping Tips
- Ship early: Send the dress at least two weeks in advance to allow for any delays.
- Track the package constantly to ensure it reaches its destination on time.
8. Dealing With Wrinkles And Dress Care After Travel
No matter how careful you are, it’s likely your wedding dress will develop wrinkles during travel. Here’s how to smooth them out:
Using A Steamer Or Iron
- Bring a portable steamer: A small travel steamer is the best way to remove wrinkles from delicate fabrics without damaging the dress.
- Use hotel services: Most hotels and venues offer pressing or steaming services. Call ahead to confirm if these services are available.
- Ironing caution: Only use a regular iron if absolutely necessary and be sure to place a clean cloth between the iron and the dress to avoid heat damage.
Dress Care Tips
- Hang the dress immediately upon arrival to allow any minor creases to fall out naturally.
- Steam from a safe distance to avoid soaking the fabric with water droplets.
Conclusion
Traveling with your wedding dress can feel like a daunting task, but with the right preparation, it can be stress-free.
Whether you’re flying, driving, taking a train, or shipping your gown, proper packing and careful handling are essential to ensure your dress arrives in perfect condition.
By following the tips and guidelines for each mode of transport, you can prevent wrinkles, damage, or loss and focus on enjoying your special day.
Pack accessories separately, use high-quality garment bags, and allow enough time for professional steaming or pressing if needed.
With these steps in mind, you’ll ensure your wedding dress is as stunning on your wedding day as you’ve always dreamed of.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Pack a Wedding Dress?
When folding, wrap the sleeves under the bodice, and then fold the skirt up over the bodice.
Finally, wrap the folded dress in unbleached muslin before putting it in a box. You can store your veil in the same box as your wedding dress, but make sure that a layer of tissue paper separates the two.
Can You Hang a Dress on a Plane?
Do: Store Your Gown in a Manner that Makes You Most Comfortable. What is this? Many planes have a closet that flight attendants will allow you to store your gown (but not all!) Your gown will hang and be tucked away from other passengers’ hands.
Can I Put a Wedding Dress in a Suitcase?
We suggest turning your wedding dress inside out before you put it in the garment bag it if you’re planning on putting it in a suitcase. Also, you may want to wrap an additional piece of plastic around your garment back, for extra protection.
Can You Put a Wedding Dress in Luggage?
Of course, you can always pack your wedding dress in your carry-on luggage as well, but honestly it might be a bit of a tight fit depending on your fabric and style of dress. It’s completely doable but one of my least-favourite options.
How Do You Transport a Dress on a Plane?
Hang dresses in a plastic dry-cleaning bag, then place the wrapped dress inside a hanging travel garment bag. Some airlines offer closets for hanging garment bags, which allows you to bring the dress with you as a carry-on item. Garment bags also result in fewer wrinkles even if you must check the bag.
