Getting your gown to Hawaii!
The Wedding Café (TWC) spills about the best ways to get your dream gown across the Pacific Ocean.
For brides planning their dream wedding in Hawaii, there are a million and one things to do, especially since you’re doing everything overseas! Finding the perfect wedding gown, of course, takes the highest priority, but what about getting said perfect gown across the Pacific Ocean?
1. Keep it Close: As most couples will be jumpin’ on a jet plane to get to their destination wedding, carrying your dress on board with you will give you peace of mind that the gown will arrive when you do. Some airlines are equipped with “In-Flight closets” or “Captains closets” that can accommodate larger, hung items such as wedding dresses. Space is limited so make sure you talk to an agent as soon as you get to the gate. Continental, American and Hawaiian Airlines all recommend stowing your garment bag in the overhead compartments; however, these fill quickly and cannot be reserved. Always call your airline before you book to ask about their policy on large garment carry-ons as they may have a “check-in only” policy.
TWC (The Wedding Café) TIP!: If carrying your dress on board is not an option, pack the dress in a watertight box to protect it from odors and stains. Label the outside as well as the inside of the box and make sure the airline labels it “FRAGILE.”
2. To Hawaii, with Love: If you can bear to part with your loved one (the dress, of course!), sending a dress by mail has become popular for the hassle-free bride. Whether you go with USPS, Fed-Ex, or UPS, these companies are trained to handle fragile items, which make for stress-free shipping. With technology and insurance to make sure your dress gets to Hawaii safe and sound, you can be hands free to travel light without worries of overhead compartments filling up or gate agents forcing a check-in for your lovely gown.
UPS and Fed-Ex calculate their costs based on weight, height, destination and how fast you need it delivered. Whether you have a beautiful ballgown, marvelous mermaid dress, or simple sheath, your best bet with these companies is to visit your local UPS/Fed-Ex location.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has three options to ensure your dress gets to its destination. Remember these key terms when you make your trip down to the post office: “Registered hand to hand,” the most secure option, as it requires a signature every time it is dropped off at a destination. “Express” is guaranteed to arrive in two days and comes with tracking and insurance. Lastly, “Priority Ensure” is a less expensive option but offers confirmation, signature and tracking features.
Recent bride Bonnie Kam used USPS to ship her dress to Seattle for a post-wedding photo shoot. The cost with shipping and insurance came out to just over $100.
TWC TIP!: Before Bonnie shipped her dress to Seattle for her post-wedding shoot, she had her Vera Wang dress shipped from New York to Hawaii for her wedding. She advised that a great money-saving tip is to ask if certain designers will ship a dress for you. Vera Wang shipped her dress free of charge to her in-laws address in Hawaii. Lucky bride!
3. It’s a Wrap!: When planning your destination wedding, mention to your bridal salon that you will need to transport your dress. They have great tips on how to correctly pack a dress for shipment, like wrapping the dress in acid-free tissue paper and then placing it into a box 1/3 the length of the dress. They will also be able to show you how to fold the dress in a “z-shape” to prevent deep creases, which will be harder to press.
TWC TIP!: When purchasing your dress, certain fabrics can be your best friend. Choose a fabric like charemeuse and chiffon, both are resistant to creasing and don’t take up a lot of room. These fabrics will ease your travel worries and leave you with sweet dreams about your wedding.
4. Bridal Gown in the House: If you plan on staying in a hotel while in Hawaii, many hotels feature some great options for receiving and storing your dress. We spoke with representatives at the Ala Moana Hotel, the Moana Surfrider, and the Hilton Hawaiian Village who are all happy to store a hotel guest’s wedding gown even if the gown arrives before you do. Once you retrieve your dress, hang it outside of its garment bag so the wrinkles can naturally fall out, and then decide if it needs to be pressed. Hotels will have information on where to send it out or you can contact a local bridal salon for pressing needs. The Bridal Boutique on Cooke Street works with brides on a daily basis to get their dresses steamed, pressed and ready to wear for the big day!
Once your gown is in hand and happily in Hawaii, it’s time to relax and enjoy your wedding in paradise…
About Tanna Dang
Tanna Dang is the owner of The Wedding Cafe, Hawaii’s premier wedding resource center in Honolulu, Hawaii and also the author of “Wedding Belles : Tips and Inspiration from Island Brides.”