One of the challenges of having a destination wedding is trying to get all the “stuff” to Maryland. We’ve been using our last two trips as opportunities to pack mule everything from bridal party presents to rehearsal dinner outfits to my parents’ house.
The greatest hurdle has been how to get my dress to Maryland! Originally when I started designing my dress with Anomalie I planned to ship it directly to Maryland and have my fittings there. That was a pipe dream. The reality is that there are multiple fittings and a bustle that needs to happen in August, meaning in Houston.
I started researching how to best get my dress on a plane and the message boards/Q&A sections of airlines left a lot to be desired. There were basically three options people mentioned–first, give your dress to a flight attendant and they will store it in a closet. This sounds like a great option only for dresses without volume, I have a full skirt and a long train. Ultimately, this is only possible on airlines like United or Delta, we’re flying Southwest and they don’t have closets. Strike that from the list.
Second, was to put your dress in a carryon suitcase and put it in the overhead bin. The box my dress came packed in was bigger than a carryon suitcase, so this seems like even if I could make it fit, there will be casualties. Third, was to lay my dress in an overhead bin by itself and then hope that I could scare off every other passenger from using the bin space. This felt awkward, potentially dramatic, and pretty selfish. All the failed options made me start to consider overnight shipping my dress from Houston to Maryland, but the stress that it would get lost or damaged was too much.
I finally called Southwest and asked about my options–they offered something that I didn’t see anywhere. I could buy my dress a ticket.
This sounds insane, but it’s actually a heck of a deal. I paid upfront for the cost of an extra seat at the same purchase price as my seat. My dress has her own check in number and boarding pass. She gets her own seat on the plane. Once the flight is over, I’ll call Southwest and they’ll refund me the full cost of the extra seat. This is the same as their Customer of Size policy for people who need more than one seat. I hadn’t come across any information about this option but it’s a lifesaver. Now we can guarantee my dress will be next to us on the plane and hopefully make it through the trip with minimal stress.
