During wedding season, you may receive several invitations to host celebrations for family and friends. But invitations to destination weddings are rare. When it happens and you accept it, you may immediately start dreaming of warm beaches or beautiful city adventures. But as the day approaches, you actually have to start planning your trip. While it's not as fun as actually traveling, knowing how to pack for a destination wedding can prevent some major stress during travel, experts say.
"Planning any wedding comes with challenges, but planning a destination wedding can come with a whole different set of obstacles. As a guest invited to a destination wedding, you have just as many choices to choose from," says wedding planner Edward Pei Edward Perotti tells Bustle. On top of all the stress that comes with having to juggle a travel budget, booking transportation and hotels, you also have the added stress of trying to squeeze everything you might need for your big day into a small suitcase.
There’s nothing worse than accidentally having rips or spills on your clothes before attending a wedding – expect to get rips or spills on your clothes before attending a destination wedding. If you don't have regular access to the rest of your wardrobe, it's useful to pack a second outfit just in case something happens.
Since size restrictions on liquid carry-on items can be very annoying, it's easy to buy products once you arrive at your destination. Jen Avey of Destination Weddings Travel Group tells Bustle that you're better off bringing your favorite mini-sized garments from home or transferring them directly to a TSA-approved container for shipping. You can never be sure if the store at your destination will carry your favorite product. Besides, there's really no fun in dragging yourself away from the wedding celebrations to explore the city in search of a razor.
If you're just traveling a few miles to attend a wedding, it's very easy to load your gifts into your car for transport. But when you're traveling hundreds (or even thousands) of miles, lugging the couple's registered toaster or microwave can be a significant expense. First, if you're attending a destination wedding, you don't need to buy gifts at all, Perotti says. This is really unexpected considering how much you spend there. If you do still want to send a gift, consider having it delivered directly to the couple's home upon their return. This will give them one less thing to keep track of and will be a nice surprise after the ceremony.
Just because the purpose of your trip is to attend a wedding, doesn’t mean that’s all you’re going to do . Instead, think about what you want to explore in your free time. "Research some events to attend so you can pack accordingly," wedding and event planner Brett Galley tells Bustle. If you live in a cold city, you might automatically start packing your comfy clothes, even if you're flying to the beach. Taking the time to see what the weather will be like in your new city will help you decide whether to pack that chic coat or swap it out for breathable linen clothing (or even bring an umbrella for tropical weather).
Once you've checked off everything on your to-bring list and stuffed it into your suitcase, take a moment to relax. You'll celebrate the union of two people you truly care about and explore an amazing city.
