Bridal Gown Travel Tips Bridal salons usually present the gown to you on a hanger
with a bust form and a zippered bag. That makes it fairly easy
if you are traveling by car. If you are traveling by air there
was a time when the stewardess would hang the bag for you in a
cabin near the door. No such luck these days. In fact most
airlines insist you check your gown with your other luggage so
unless your gown is very informal you will need a large box or
an extra suitcase to protect it. And you will need tissue--and
lots and lots of tissue! Of course, the easiest solution to the wrinkle problem is
professional pressing once you have arrived at your
destination. If you do not have family or friends in the
destination city and need help choosing someone to press for
you, try visiting www.WeddingGownSpecialists.com/locator.htm to see if you can find someone in that location who
specializes in gown cleaning and pressing. Many members of
this Association offer free pressing if you use their services
to clean and preserve the gown after the wedding. If there is
no member at your particular destination, you might call the
Association office and ask for a recommendation. When professional pressing is not an option, you can pack
the gown very carefully so that there are few if any wrinkles
that will not shake out when you hang the gown. Many hotels
provide rooms with an iron and a board that you can use for
touching up the gown. You could also invest in a portable steamer that will be
handy whenever you travel. Steamers are very effective, and
they cannot scorch your dress. However, they do sometimes
“spit” and can spot on water-sensitive fabrics such as
silk. Guard against such spots by wrapping the head of the
steamer in a towel. Even more basic--hang the dress in the bathroom, turn the
shower to hot water, close the door, and let the shower run
until the room is filled with steam. The steam should relax
any creases. Some
suggestions for keeping wrinkles to a minimum when you travel: Traveling by car or on a cruise: If the gown fits
comfortably in the bag, you may not have to do anything more
than hang the bag. If not, add more tissue and stuff the
bodice as tightly as possible. Then buffer the folds of the
gown’s train with tissue and pin two large fitted sheets
over all. If you hang the gown so the bodice is facing the car
door, the bust form will protect the bodice from wrinkling,
and the rest of the gown can be laid across the back seat. When traveling by plane, you could ask the bridal salon
to pack the gown for you. The salon may not have a box that is
large enough. Gowns are often shipped to them in very small
boxes that cause lots of creases, and pressing is one of the
amenities offered by full-service shops. Or you could ask a
cleaner who specializes in gown cleaning and preservation to
prepare a gown for shipping. Such a cleaner is experienced in
packing gowns and would have boxes with shipping cartons on
hand. If you would rather pack the gown yourself, line the box
with tissue and lay the gown face down in the box so that the
top of the gown extends beyond the box, the middle of the gown
is in the box, and the train also extends beyond the box. Make
sure you have the gown centered in the box and that the part
that is face down is spread flat so there are no creases or
folds. P.S. You won’t need to be so careful with your gown
after the wedding, but if you are having a beach wedding, do
let it dry out before you pack it! ©
2007 S. L. Conant, Ph.D.
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