How To Pack For Your Destination Wedding
You’ve checked everything off your list. You’ve bought your welcome bags. You’ve got your shoes, your veil and your wedding dress. Plus some new bathing suits, a camera and your flip flops. You are so ready for your destination wedding! Now - how on earth are you going to fit it all in your suitcase?
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Ideally, your resort will provide everything for your wedding. But if you want certain decorations, you’ll probably need to bring some things yourself. You could try mailing it ahead. Some resorts will accept delivery, but the mail service might not be reliable. Your packages could arrive too late or worse - not at all. Your best option is to bring it all on the plane with you. Here’s how to do it:
Figure Out What You’re Working With
The first thing to do is check your Baggage Allowance. Read the small print on your ticket or check your airline’s website. Make a note of the number of bags you’re allowed to bring, plus the size and weight of each one.
If you bought the cheapest flight you could find, make sure to double check - a lot of low priced tickets don’t include any checked baggage. With most tickets, you’ll each be allowed one personal item, one carry on and one checked bag.
See If You Can Get Extra Baggage Allowance
Check what’s included in your wedding package. Some of them include an extra checked bag, for free. Another way to get extra baggage allowance is to book a premium or business class ticket. Sometimes it’s cheaper to upgrade your tickets than to pay for extra bags. If you collect travel points, you might be able to use them for a free upgrade to premium or business class.
Bride and groom holding hands next to a suitcase.
Decide What to Pack Where
Packing things in the right place can save you time and frustration. Check the weight allowed on your ticket and make sure you don’t go over.
What to Pack in Your Personal Item:
A personal item is usually a small purse, backpack or computer bag. It’s going to go under the seat in front of you. It should have your ID, tickets, cash and medications, plus the things you’ll want during the flight. Pack your earphones, tablets and snacks so they’re easy to get out when you want them.
What to Pack in Your Carry On Luggage:
The point of your carry on is to have the things you’ll need if your checked bag doesn’t make it. Pack a change of clothes, makeup and any toiletries you’ll need right away in your carry on bag.
If your flight is in the morning, you’ll probably arrive at the resort before your room is ready. If this happens, the desk clerk will hold your luggage for you. You won’t want to start digging through your big suitcases, so put your bathing suit and flip flops into your carry on, too. That way you can change and head to the beach until your room is ready.
Between you and your partner, you’re allowed 2 carry ons. Some couples like to buy a garment bag and put both wedding outfits inside. You can count the garment bag as one carry on and put your extra clothes into a small suitcase as your second carry on. During the flight, your wedding dress or garment bag might get hung up for you. If the plane doesn’t have closet space, both your carry ons will go in the overhead bin.
If you need a garment bag for your wedding clothes, Amazon has some great choices:
If you’re going to use your garment bag as a carry on, this is an inexpensive choice. It’s one big pocket, so you can put your shoes and accessories inside. The only drawback is that there’s no separate pockets, so your stuff will be moving around. If you want the least expensive choice, this one will do the job:
If you travel a lot, it might be worth it to get a Wally Bag. These are high quality, durable garment bags. The company gets rave reviews for all their bags. This one is extra long, to fit your dress. It has plenty of space for a suit and extra dress clothes. Plus it has separate pockets for all your accessories:
This garment bag is a good quality, medium priced choice. It’s got plenty of space to fit your wedding outfits, plus some extra dress clothes. There are separate pockets and tie down straps to keep everything organized and secure:
What to Pack in Your Checked Luggage:
You probably won’t open these bags again until you’re checked into your room at the resort. Make sure you don’t pack medication or anything else you’ll need right away.
Your wedding clothes should all be in your carry on, so your checked bags will be your daily clothes and toiletries. Plus as much wedding stuff as you can fit!
If you need lots of space for wedding items, keep your clothes to a minimum. Make a list of all your activities and choose an outfit for each one. You can bring some laundry soap for hand washing. It’s easy to wash and rinse light clothes in your sink - then you can wear it again. Or you can send a few outfits to the resort’s laundry service.
If you’re bringing a lot of clothes, try using some compression bags. They work really well - I can fit 10 days worth of clothes in a carry on by using compression bags. Just keep an eye on the weight - once you start stuffing them with clothes, they can get really heavy.
If you need compression bags, these are my favorites. Roll up your t-shirts, undies and socks and pack them in. You’ll be amazed at how much clothes fits in each one:
If you’re bringing less clothes, make sure you bring some soap so you can hand wash your clothes. I like to bring a small bottle of camp soap. It’s concentrated so you just need a small bottle. It doesn’t bubble as much as regular laundry soap so it’s super easy to rinse out. It’s also great for rinsing the salt water out of your bathing suits each day.
If You Bring Extra Checked Baggage
Your extra suitcase doesn’t have to be a suitcase. You can pack your wedding decorations into a plastic tote. A plastic tote weighs less than an extra suitcase and you can fit a lot more inside. Wrap it with packing tape to make sure the lid stays on and write your name and resort on the outside.
Most airlines allow oversized items, like bicycles and surfboards to be checked for free instead of a checked suitcase. Check your ticket to see if your tote can count as a free item and check the maximum size. If you’re not sure, call the number on your ticket and talk to an agent at the airline.
You want the tote to be lightweight, but sturdy enough to be checked in with the rest of the luggage. Choose the biggest size your airline will allow:
18 Gallon Totes:
Or 32 Gallon Totes:
If you still don’t have enough room, borrow space in other people’s luggage. If you’re bringing bouquets, ask your bridesmaids to each bring her own. Give your parents and your bridal party their gifts and accessories ahead of time. If you’ve got lots of decorations, ask your family and friends to each bring one or two pieces.
Once you’ve chosen all your luggage, do a test run a few weeks ahead of time. It’s hard to estimate how much actually fits. Once you see everything inside your cases, you might realize you need to bring less. Or you could be able to fit more. You might have to pack and repack a few times. Be patient and one way or another you’ll manage to fit it all in. And don’t worry if you can’t bring every single thing. As long as you’ve got your honey - your wedding will work out perfect!
Planning your wedding at an all-inclusive resort? The Destination Wedding Planner is packed with information and comparison sheets to help you choose the best resort and packages. Plus checklists, worksheets, tips and tricks. Available now at Amazon:
