Destination Wedding Packing List

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Are you getting close to the big day abroad or perhaps simply saying “I do” out of town in the states? If you’re hosting a destination wedding this summer (congrats!), you’ll want to start thinking about everything that needs to go with you. Creating a destination wedding packing list early and adding to it regularly will help keep you on target and ensure nothing essential gets left behind. So what exactly do you need to travel with to wed? There are differences for each and every wedding but in my experience, the constants that typically remain the same are as follows. Don’t leave home without them!

Wedding dress, tuxedo, suit or attire
Wedding accessories + shoes
Wedding rings
Wedding after party looks
Wedding night attire or lingerie
Getting ready robe or attire to be photographed in
Any wedding event fashion for a welcome party, brunch or luncheon
Marriage license (if you were able to secure it at home and it will work where you plan to wed)
Welcome bags or gifts and wedding favors (ideally you’ll ship these ahead of time or source locally)
Sunglasses + sunscreen
Makeup + skincare products
Travel toiletries
ID or passports (if needed) – make and travel with copies of each just in case something gets lost!
If you plan to legally wed where you’re headed, be sure to pack any documentation you may need to get the license on location (inquire ahead of time).
Plane tickets, credit cards + cash
Confirmation numbers of all travel reservations and itineraries
Event accessories (think guestbook, cake topper, vows book, ring box, anything you want photographed or distributed that hasn’t already been shipped to the locale)
A set of all your paper goods (including invitation and save the date) to be photographed on the wedding day
All vendor contact information and proof of payments
Gifts for your bride or groom, wedding parties and parents
Medicine you might need if you get sick or take daily
Emergency nail kit
Perfume or cologne
Vows (if you are writing your own)
Gratuities for your wedding team, a checkbook for last minute bills to be paid and a list of services contracted for the event

Armed with all of the above ensures smooth sailing upon arrival. And remember, the most important items should always be carried on with you, never checked in luggage. Don’t leave anything to chance when you travel to your destination wedding weekend!

Photo by: Jason and Gina

Published by Emily Campbell

I am an event planner located in Breckenridge, CO. I absolutely love my job and am amazed on a daily basis by the interesting work. Things I love. . . a job well done, Billy Collins poetry, discussing politics with my dad, reading historical fiction, listening to my children giggle, having martinis with my amazing girlfriends, trail running, simply being with my mom in any capacity, walking the streets of New York City and Paris, taking a full afternoon without interruption to prepare a dinner party, world music, John Coltrane, a bud vase of fresh flowers on my desk, telling stories with my huge family, listening to Neil Young around a campfire, going to concerts at Red Rocks, traveling to new places and always visiting at least one art gallery, going to the theatre, Broadway musicals are my favorite, being near a river and thinking, naps. . . being with my husband.

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