The Destination Dress

Expert advice on picking and packing a gown for your far faraway soirée

By Anna Sachse
CTW Features

Image courtesy Sandals/Martha Stewart Weddings

Trying to figure out what wedding gown would work best for your party in paradise?

Think "simple elegance," advises Tessa Woolf, editor of Salt Lake/Park City Bride & Groom magazine. "Sleek A-line and sheath dresses in full-length or cocktail-length styles and strapless or one-shoulder styles are particularly fetching for faraway fetes," she says. "And don't be afraid to show-off some sun-kissed skin, be it the shoulders in a halter-style gown or the legs in a little white dress."

On your No Fly list should be ornate gowns with heavy beading, lots of fabric and structure, and long trains that can drag in the sand, warns Deedee Vicory, owner of bridal alteration studio The Wedding Seamstress and bridal boutique D'Lola Couture in Arvada, Colo. "Basically, if you need a forklift to pick up the dress, it's probably not a great pick for a hot and humid environment."

Instead, look to lightweight fabrics such as chiffon, crinkle chiffon, charmeuse, organza and lace, says Woolf.

To keep your gown in tip-top shape from the start (and prevent losing it!), Woolf always recommends carrying it on board your flight in a garment bag - either lay the bag flat in an overhead storage bin on top of other bags, or ask a flight attendant to hang it in a closet. UPS and FedEx also are a good choice, notes Vicory, but be sure you ship well in advance just in case there are any delays or mishaps.

Once at your destination, immediately remove your gown from its bag to let the fabric breathe, says Woolf. Ask your hotel ahead of time if they provide pressing and steaming services or devices for wedding dresses, or pack your own. Use irons on a low setting with a white pillow case placed between the iron and the dress, notes Vicory, and always use distilled water in your steamer, as impurities in tap water could stain the fabric and cause an extra wrinkle in your big day.

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