TRAVELLING WITH
YOUR WEDDING DRESS
Category: wedding day
Article by — Helene, Paris elopement planner, helping brides since 2012
We are often asked about wedding attire rent for Paris elopement, but we can not recommend this option. Wedding dress rent services are popular when planning a wedding in home city and there is enough time to do all the fittings, but not the best option for couples flying to Paris for only 3-10 days.
So, unfortunately, at this time we don't have any dress rent services in Paris that are tourist-friendly.
Finishing all the alterations and fitting in advance and traveling with your dress and suit is the best option.
Here are our ideas on how to travel with your wedding attire.
These landscapes require perfectly cared dress and suit
TRAVEL-WORTHY CARRY ON GARMENT BAG
Garment bags are designed to keep your dress crease-free and perfectly organized every time you travel. If you want your dress and suit to be ready-to-wear when you arrive to Paris, the very best way is to invest in a garment carrier. You can have a rolling garment bag or a shoulder garment bag.
And the best news: most garment bags are designed to be used as carry-on luggage when rolled or folded.
How to find it? Buy searching "travel garment destination bag" on Amazon or Ebay.
Pro tip: call the airline to find out how they handle passengers with large and delicate items like a wedding dress. Ask if they can hang the gown for you somewhere safe.
PACK YOUR DRESS
The safest way to do it is to ask your bridal shop to pack everything professionally in tissue paper.
ARRIVAL CARE
Unpack the dress and suit and hang them up promptly upon arrival. Most wrinkles fall out within 24 hours. If you have some extra cash and want to play it safe, you can always purchase another seat on the plane for your gown.
A PORTABLE STEAMER
Even if your dress was perfectly packed, you’ll likely need to steam it. Local dry cleaners in Paris can be closed or taking orders only by an appointment. You can easily get away with doing it on your own using a small travel steamer.
It works wonders on clothing made of soft or delicate materials. Because they are small and portable, travel steamers are amazing, they take up little room in your luggage.
How to find it? Buy searching "portable travel steamer" on Amazon or Ebay.
And don't forget that outlets in the USA and France are different, so an electrical outlet adapter is necessary.
DE-WRINKLE YOUR DRESS AND SUIT
You stay at a hotel:
Most 4 and 5* hotels in Paris provide dry cleaning services, they are happy to help. After booking your room, please send your hotel a message asking for confirmation that they will be available for your date and have enough time. If no laundry service is available, do they have an iron? Can they recommend a local dry cleaner and book an appointment?
You stay at Airbnb:
Definitely ask about a steamer or iron before you book. If not, there are dry cleaners on every street in Paris. They are called "PRESSING" and are open from Monday to Saturday, from about 9 am to 6 pm. On Sundays, everything in Paris is closed. You can type the word "Pressing" in Google Maps and find the nearest dry cleaner. Wedding dress and suit steaming there takes at least 24-48 hours and will be around €300-400 or even more.
