The destination wedding you’ve been waiting for is just around the corner. You can already feel your muscles relaxing. You can smell the sea breeze. Whether it’s your big day or you’re attending a loved one’s wedding, you know it’s going to be a great day celebrating with friends and family. You finally get to show off your new custom suit! Then you might realize, “Wait, how do I even pack my formal attire?” Below are some tips.
How To Pack A Suit
- Jacket: Surprisingly, the jacket will be the easiest clothing to pack. Fold your jacket inside out. Not only will doing so protect the exterior from dust and lint, but it will also prevent wrinkles. Since suit jackets are multilayered, any creases will occur on the interior when it’s hung this way. Fold your jacket down the middle so the sleeves align, then fold from the collar to the bottom with the sleeves folded to the inside.
- Pants: Fold your pants along the crease to prevent new creases. First, fold them in half so the legs are evenly on top of each other. Then, fold them from the waistline down.
- Shirt: For your shirt, use the rolling method. Folding makes too many edges and creates additional wrinkles. Button up your shirt almost to the top. Then, fold the shirt in half at the buttons so the sleeves are reaching behind the shirt. Fold the sleeves down. Start to roll from the bottom to the top. A great idea is to take along your own travel steamer.
- Shoes: Pack shoes in your carry-on luggage or bag. As with all your other formal attire, put your shoes in their own bag. You don’t want the dirt from the bottom of your shoes making stains or marks on your other clothes. Rather than a plastic bag, invest in a shoe bag. Do not crush your shoes. Either add wooden shoe inserts or stuff them with socks. Doing so will help save some room in your bag as an extra bonus! OR you can opt to wear your shoes onboard your flight — just keep them clean!
- Ties and Socks: Ties and socks can be rolled or stuffed neatly in shoes.
How To Pack A Dress
A good dress rule of thumb is to fold it into thirds. Fold the dress vertically in half so the shoulders are touching each other. Shake out any wrinkles and smooth out the top and skirt. Fold the bottom third toward the middle then the top third toward the middle.
Always Use A Carry-On for Your Important Attire
- Jewelry: Keep your jewelry items safe and sound with you throughout the flight. Package them in a nice box with a soft interior that will not scratch your jewelry. If you plan on wearing a watch, consider wearing it on the plane.
- Product: Whatever product you plan on using for your hair or makeup, carry that on too.
- Invest in a garment bag: These bags come in all shapes and sizes for wedding dresses, bridesmaids’ dresses, suits and tuxedos. When you’ve finally reached your destination, the second to last thing you’ll want to deal with is lost luggage. The last thing you’ll want to deal with is your wedding attire being lost in that luggage.
- Use the airplane closet: Most airlines are accommodating and will hang your attire in a first-class closet. If the closets are full, flight attendants will likely be more than happy to find a safe place for your wedding attire. To ease some stress, call your airline before your flight and ask them how they can accommodate.
Written By: Kacey Bradley