As you're prepping for your destination wedding, you may be wondering if it's better shipping your wedding decor, items, or favors to your resort or just bringing them with you on the plane. While both options have their pros and cons, there are a few things to consider before making a decision.
Shipping the Items
First, let's talk about shipping wedding items to a resort. One of the main advantages of shipping your decor is that you can avoid the hassle of carrying it with you on the plane. You can pack them up, send them on their way and just worry about getting yourself to your wedding destination. Plus, with shipping, you can avoid the headache of TSA restrictions and bag weight limits.
However, this peace of mind comes with some potential downsides. Shipping items to a resort means putting trust and faith in the hands of the shipping company and resort staff to ensure that your wedding items arrive safely and on time. There is a possibility that the resort will not want the responsibility of keeping track of your items, as well as the risk of items getting lost or damaged in transit, which could potentially ruin your wedding vision. Or what about your items getting stuck in Customs?
Taking Wedding Decor on the Plane
On the other hand, there's the option of carrying your wedding decor on the plane. This allows you to have more control over your items, knowing exactly what condition everything is in and where it's located. You also won't have to stress about shipping timelines and tracking numbers.
Carrying wedding items or decor with you on the plane also comes with some considerations. Depending on the size and quantity of the items, you may have to deal with additional checked bag fees or carry-on restrictions. The last thing you want is to have to pay an exorbitant fee for your luggage or find out that your items don't meet the airline's carry-on requirements! Not to mention getting stopped by Customs and having to possibly pay taxes on items that they think you are trying to re-sell. In this case we recommend bringing your wedding invitation as proof you are not re-selling the items as well as actual receipts in case the Customs agent decides to tax you based on some "magical" number they come up with.
We also recommend if going this route that you assign a few members of your wedding party to help bring your items on the plane and alleviate some of the headaches and chances of getting stopped.
It's Your Decision
Ultimately, the decision to ship or carry your wedding decor items comes down to your personal preference and priorities and the willingness of the resort to bear the responsibility of keeping track of your stuff. For couples who don't mind the extra cost or potential risks, shipping wedding items can be an easy, hands-off solution. But if you prefer to keep everything under your control and avoid additional costs or risks, flying with your wedding decor and items on the plane is the way to go. Honestly we like this idea the best as it is less risky.