OK so you’ve spent a long time choosing the most beautiful dress. In fact you’ve spent a lifetime fantasizing and fawning over every single detail.  As a child you wanted it big and princess like. As a teenager you considered colourful dresses or something ‘a bit different’ maybe even a Gothic one. You grew up and then knew you wanted a sophisticated figure hugging piece or maybe a unique vintage piece or perhaps you still wanted it big and princess like (and why not its your big day!).
You’ve had the tears and the champagne with mum, you’ve had the judgmental eyes of all the shop assistants. You’ve spent the whole engagement eating pretty much dust and rice cake just so you can look absolutely perfect when the time comes. The whole event will lead up to you wearing this amazing, perfect dress.  You’ve even decided to splash out on a stunning wedding abroad in Thailand: beautiful beaches, stunning scenery, paradise like settings.

But wait…how will your dress get there?

Que massive freak out and panic attack!

You are now faced with the reality of being parted from your dress. Not by miles, not even by county but by country.

Parcel-force simply isn’t going to cut it this time. So whats a girl to do?

Not to panic, there’s a reason you can find so many women looking stunning in their wedding dress on Google images. There are options available that most brides will find accessible and acceptable.

Option 1- Taking it with you on the flight

OK so some people opt to take the dress with them on the flight. This can be done but you should be aware of a few things. Firstly think about the very basics. You want your dress to be protected. If you have bought it from a bridal shop they will usually offer a packaging service specifically for this purpose. This should package the dress in the most crease free way. If you haven’t bought it from a bridal shop and have bought it second hand or online it is definitely worth looking for a company who will do this type of packaging for you. Alternatively you can pack it as efficiently as possible yourself and look into steaming the dress at your destination. You should not expect the airline to allow you to hang the dress or make any special allowances for your dress.
You should also think about the suitcase. Some people (somehow!) manage to get the dress to fit into a suitcase suitable for the carry on luggage meaning the dress doesn’t have to leave your side (yay!). However it is recommended you get the sturdiest suitcase you can just in case the luggage is too big or heavy and has to go into the luggage hold. It is worth not scrimping on this particular expense, its not worth scrimping over, the stakes are just too high!

Option 2- Sending it ahead of you on a flight

Some people opt to send all the wedding outfits together to the wedding venue before they fly out. This may sound risky but it actually helps some people deal with the stress easier as they allow time for things to go wrong- lost luggage etc (god forbid). It also means they can fly over completely stress free knowing all the items are already at the venue.
If you have enlisted a wedding planner, they will be able to communicate with the venue allowing you complete peace of mind over your dress and its whereabouts.
There aren’t any specific companies who do this kind of shipping but it is recommended you do not try and save money on this particular expense. You should follow the same advice as option one getting the dress packaged well etc but also make sure you can track the item literally every step of the way. Make sure you choose the most recommended company to ship this item and make sure it is marked fragile.

Aside from these two options you can of course purchase a dress while you are in Thailand. There are many stunning bridal boutiques to shop in and it could be a nice element to the trip. Whichever option you choose remember to be excited and enjoy the process, it’ll never happen again!