There are so many big picture things to know when planning a destination wedding like picking a location, getting your documents ready, and deciding on a guest list, that sometimes brides forget the smaller yet equally important things to make their wedding experience go as smoothly as possible. One of those things is, folding your wedding dress properly. No matter the type of dress or the type of fabric you pick, it’s still important to know how to fold your wedding dress and get it safely to your destination with out doing any permanent damage to it.

The first thing you need to do is find out what your dress is made of. Some fabrics rest and fold better than others and it will benefit you to know this. Second, decide if you are using a dress box or a travel garment bag. If you purchase a kit from a wedding dress specialist, then they can pack it securely for you (and we totally recommend letting them do this!). But if you’re anything like this wedding blogger here, you will want to try on your wedding dress a few (hundred) more times before the wedding trip; so we’ll teach you how to pack it yourself. Remember: the trick to packing your dress is proper folding; avoid cramming your dress at all times that may lead to unsightly wrinkles!

How to Fold your Wedding Dress Using a Travel Garment Bag

1.  Ensure that you have a sturdy, waterproof travel garment bag. For the price and sentimental value of your wedding dress, it’s worth it to spend on a quality bag. You can likely find a quality one at wedding dress boutiques. If they dont’ have any, they can more than likely tell you who does. You can also browse Amazon for a quality bag recommended for destination wedding travel. Read the reviews – trust us!
2.  Hang your dress inside the bag with a hanger heavy enough to support the weight of the gown. We suggest a sturdy silk hanger made specifically for gown. Avoid any hanger material that may tarnish your gown.
3. If necessary, fold the train once at the bottom so it fits inside the bag.
4. Using acid-free tissue paper or plastic dry cleaner bags, gently stuff them in and around your dress and in any remaining space in the bag. This helps your dress retain its shape. The bodice and sleeves are the areas most likely to suffer from crushing, so they should be stuffed until almost full.
5. Once stuffed, enclose your dress in one or more plastic dry cleaner bags inside the larger garment bag. We know, we know…it’s a lot of bags, but the dry cleaner bags provide extra protection from moisture and damage during transit and just in case of TSA inspections.

(Photo Credit: fivestarweddinggowns.com)

How to Fold your Wedding Dress Using a Box
(This method works well for former brides who want to preserve their wedding gowns after their big day.)

1. Using a large dress box (about one-third of your gown) with acid-free tissue paper that stores tend to pack gift items in, line your box with the tissue paper first and then center your gown in the middle of the box ensuring the back is laid out very, very smoothly. At this point only the middle of your gown should be in the box. The top and bottom of the gown should be hanging out over the top and bottom of the box.
2.  Add more tissue to cover the top and then beginning at the side seams; fold the skirt of your gown lengthwise over bunched tissue until the skirt is no wider than the box. Then add more tissue and fold the bottom of skirt into the box.
3. Add even more tissue and fold the top of the gown over into the box. The top of your gown will now be facing up. The best way we can explain it is to picture yourself lying on your stomach with your legs folded over backwards while your head and shoulders are lying on top of your legs–facing up.
4. Last but not least use more tissue (you should probably buy a lot of tissue paper) to stuff the bodice and cushion anything else such as bows or sleeves that should be protected.
5. This step is the most important- Do not move, shake, and/ or remove your dress. We mean it! We know it’s very tempting to want to peek at your dress or shake it to hear if it’s still in there; it is. If your mother insists that you try it on one last time for your dear old aunt Clara to see, gently tell her that you want to surprise her with how smashing it looks on you on the day of your wedding. Be nice, but firm.

There you have it; how to fold your wedding dress the right way. Have you traveled with a wedding dress before and can provide extra tips? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!