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When you’re heading to a destination wedding, it’s important to pack smart. What you need to bring to a destination wedding will change depending on where you’re headed, how long you’ll be traveling, and whether or not you’re in the wedding. To help you plan for your trip, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to packing for a designation wedding. In this guide, we’ll cover three kinds of packing: carry on items, checked bag items, and items you should send ahead of time.
Carry On Items
Some wedding essentials are far too valuable to pack in a checked bag. After all, checked bags can sometimes go missing at the airport. So, here are some things you should pack in your carry on:
- Your wedding day outfit
- Your Wedding day jewelry and shoes
- Any special party outfits (Like your rehearsal dinner look)
- Undergarments
- Medications
It’s a good idea for every guest to bring their wedding day look in a carry-on, but it’s vital to do this if you’re in the wedding party (especially if you’re the bride!). You don’t want to be without an irreplaceable item on the big day. And we can’t stress enough how important it is for a bride to bring her wedding dress in her carry on. While some things (like makeup or toiletries) are easy to replace in most destinations, your wedding dress is not.
Checked Bag Items
If you’re a wedding guest who is only heading to a destination for a short period of time, you might be able to fit all these checked bag items into your carry on. But if you’re traveling for more than a few days or if you’re in the wedding party, you’ll likely have too many things to fit in a carry on bag.
These checked bag items cover all the important (but less important than your carry on items) destination wedding items. Here’s a list of common essentials:
- Toiletries (such as shampoo, conditioner, skin care, deodorant, toothpaste)
- Makeup
- Hair tools
- Hair products
- Casual outfits
- Extra clothes
- Honeymoon clothes (if you’re the bride or groom)
- Pajamas
- Sunglasses
- A jacket, sweater, or coat
- A swimsuit
- Chargers
- A camera
- Snacks
- Tissues
- Non-essential medications
Depending on where you’re heading, you may not need all of these items. But consider your travel activities and be sure put the essentials you’ll need on your list.
Ship it Ahead of Time
If you’re a guest, you probably won’t need to ship anything ahead of time to the wedding destination. But if you’re the bride, groom, or a member of the wedding party who is helping coordinate the wedding, you’ll want to send bulkier wedding items ahead of time to avoid lugging around things like decorations in your suitcase. Here are some common items you might want to ship ahead of time:
- Decorations
- Wedding favors
- Welcome basket items
- Programs
Remember to pack these things with care, especially if you have any fragile decorations!