Something I am often asked early in the planning journey of destination weddings is: ‘Do you have any tips for flying with a wedding dress? How do I get it over there safely?’. In over a decade of planning luxury weddings overseas, I have never known a bride fail at this all-important task on my watch! Here I will dispel some myths about taking your wedding dress on a plane and divulge my tips for its safe arrival – you might want to bookmark this one for later.
Myths About Flying With a Wedding Dress
I want to start by addressing a couple of common queries I get when talking to my couples about flying with their wedding dress, to help you avoid getting caught out or being disappointed. Firstly, as helpful as airlines will try to be on the day of your flight (more on that later), no carrier I have ever come across will guarantee you space for a wedding dress on board – even if you pay extra! You’ll always be redirected to their standard luggage allowances, and it isn’t possible to reserve cupboard or overhead locker space ahead of time.
Secondly, you may have heard people advising you to just book an extra seat for your wedding dress. In my experience, this is not allowed. You must check in a real person with a real travel document for each seat you buy, and any seats not checked in for can be given away to people on standby lists. Trying to circumvent the rules here could end up delaying your flight and causing confusion and problems – so don’t do it!
The final thing to mention here, which is less of a myth and more of a MUST…don’t be tempted to check your wedding dress in as hold luggage. I advise you don’t let it out of your sight, and so need to be prepared to carry it onto the plane with you. With all this said, let’s look at how exactly you can do this so it arrives ready for you to wear.
Tips for Flying With a Wedding Dress
Booking your flights carefully
In all my years of planning destination weddings, I have never known any of my brides have their wedding dress refused when boarding the plane. Generally speaking the cabin crew are always extremely helpful and will get it on the plane, and may even offer to store it in cupboard space or the crew area for you. There are a few things you can do in advance to help this process along and make it smoother, however.
When booking your flight, think about which airline you will choose. I recommend not flying with budget airlines because, as much as they want to help you, they just don’t have the space. Most times the flights are full and overhead locker space is all taken up, and they don’t necessarily have large ‘behind the scenes’ areas in the way that larger airlines and planes do.
If your budget will stretch to it, consider flying premium economy, club or business class – or at least booking one of your seats in a higher ‘class’. The reason for this is twofold; firstly, your luggage allowance will automatically be greater and so you’ll save on having to buy extra suitcases and cabin baggage, and secondly you’ll find more space for storage. Even if you just fly from the UK to Italy with British Airways, for example, choosing to fly in the Club World section means you have an extra ‘seat’ space in the middle of a row – which is often where your wedding dress can sit!
Consider the travel when buying your dress
If you already know you are having a destination wedding when buying your dress, think about the fact that it will need to travel. The more sleek and streamlined styles will travel more easily because they can pack into a smaller space, and being aware of materials that are less likely to crush or crease can be helpful too.
That’s not to say I haven’t had brides travel with big, decadent dresses in the past! It’s just something to be aware of and plan for, as it’s a lot more to carry onto the plane with you. Flying with a wedding dress does undeniably require a bit of advance planning.
How to package your dress for travel
I recommend you get your boutique or seamstress to help pack your dress, as they are professionals and know how to package it without causing folds and creases that will be difficult to get out. They will often put your dress into a big garment bag, dustbag or even a box, and you should check that this is fully sealed to the elements before putting it onto the plane or in an overhead locker.
The exact way your dress is packaged will depend on its size and material, but asking an expert to do it for you means it’s arranged in the best possible way. You shouldn’t unpack it again until you reach your destination.
What to do with your wedding dress when you arrive at your destination
When you arrive after flying with a wedding dress, you’ll need to hang it so it can drop out any creases. This requires some advance thought and planning regarding where it will be hung, as many brides stay with their partners the night before the wedding but don’t want them to see the dress in advance. When booking your accommodation, really consider whether there is somewhere your dress can be hung full length and undisturbed.
Some wedding dresses need to be steamed when they arrive, and I recommend getting a professional involved for this. Think about getting in touch with a local bridal boutique, seamstress or dresser to see if they will work with you to help you prepare your dress for a fee. I often advise my brides that if they bought a particular brand of wedding dress, they should look for a stockist of that brand in the local area. Otherwise, we can look for someone local on one of our planning trips to help.
Other options include arranging for a service to come to your hotel room to help you steam and prep, and having a dedicated dresser on the wedding day who can help – this is also 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 example. It just isn’t worth the risk of letting such an important garment out of your sight.
Bonus wedding morning prep tip: On the subject of choosing your accommodation wisely, consider whether the room you book to get ready in is going to be big enough for your dress, any bridesmaid dresses, hair and make up artists and so on…don’t rely on potential last minute upgrades, or hoping for the best! You’ll also need to think about check in and check out times of prep rooms, and whether to ask housekeeping to arrange before and after prep turndowns.
Flying with a wedding dress can feel daunting, as it’s such a precious item you’ve probably invested highly in. With these tips you can feel confident that you’re doing right by your gown, and when you work with Elegante by Michelle J on your destination wedding you will have me supporting you through every detail of the process – including dress transportation!
You’ll find lots more advice on destination wedding planning and preparation on our blog, including:
How to throw a wedding welcome party in style
How to choose your destination wedding planner
How to prepare welcome bags for your wedding that guests will love
Get in touch to begin your destination wedding planning journey with Elegante by Michelle J.
Images by David Bastianoni (cover and first) and Gabriele Fani (last)