Bright blue skies, golden beaches and beautiful scenic views. There are a list of reasons why we love a wedding abroad - weather being number one on that list. So if you are dreaming of your french chateau wedding or a cosy winter adventure I have put together what you need to know for transporting your dress.

Ask the designer

You can transport your dress two ways. A bridal garment bag which would usually be provided to you when you pick your dress up. I always scellotape the hanging loops of the dress to the hanger if I know a bride is traveling, this stops the dress from falling off. Be sure the hanger is strong and that the garment bag has a loop at the bottom. This way the bag can fold in half to make it easier to move around.

Your second option would be to pack the dress into a carry on suitcase. This works for simpler styles. Line the suit case with a bed sheet or tissue paper. Then fold the dress hem first into the case. Ideally you want to pack your carry on with anything you can’t replace for the wedding - dress, shoes, underwear.

When you arrive at your destination find a place to hang your dress up high. Take the train out of the bag. Most dresses will crease a little and simply need to hang for 24hours and they will drop out. You can let steam at your dress say from a shower or bath for any stubborn creases.

Plan ahead a little if you feel the dress will need a press before the big day. Ask your wedding planner or hotel to recommendation a dry cleaners and arrange to have it steamed on arrival

Ask the wedding planner

Rosie from weddingplanner.ie has kindly past on her advice for traveling with your dress. Having planned over 200 weddings abroad in over 20 countries is she most definitely an expert.

-Check with your airline about carrying your dress onboard as hand luggage.
-Don't pack it in as checked in luggage in case your bag gets lost.
-Check with your hotel if they have a steaming service to get any creases out when you arrive or can they recommend a dry cleaners that can do it.
-If you are having a Catholic Church wedding, keep in mind they can be stricter abroad about attire. So no bare shoulders or low backs or cleavage showing for the bride, bridesmaids and guests. A veil can sometimes do or get your dress maker to make a light bolero which can be removed after the ceremony

Ask the airlines

The policy for airlines change all the time and I often find that I need to email them every summer to get the most up to date information for my brides. So this is relevant for 2017 but I would double check before booking your flight and again before traveling.

Aerlingus

We do allow guests to carry wedding dresses on board dresses as cabin baggage. https://www.aerlingus.com/travel-information/baggage-information/special-items/
Please note we don’t have a specific area on board to stow these but we advise guests to speak a member of our cabin crew once they board the flight and they will assist as best they can.
Paula Donaghy, Consumer PR Specialist

Ryanair

If your wedding dress fits within our cabin baggage dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm and weighs up to 10kg you can take it into the cabin with you.
Please note that we do not have any storage facilities on board to hang or store your dress, it will be treated as cabin baggage and placed in our overhead lockers.
If your wedding dress does not fit within the cabin baggage dimensions, then you can check it in as part of your checked baggage allowance.
Alternatively, you can purchase an extra seat for the carriage of your wedding dress in the cabin.
To book an extra seat for your wedding dress:

Go to www.ryanair.com and select 2 passengers when booking your flight.
Don't forget to reserve the seats beside each other.
The first seat should be booked in your name.
The other seat should be ITEM SEAT as the Last Name and EXTRA as the First Name
The name EXTRA ITEM SEAT will then be displayed on the online boarding pass.

Adrienn
Ryanair Customer Service

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