How to Pack Your Wedding Dress for a Mountaintop Elopement
Your elopement day is going to be one of the best days ever! The rush of excitement and nerves as you walk down the ‘aisle’ (or rather, the trail) can be a whirlwind of emotions. But with planning an elopement comes a few different challenges that don’t exist with traditional weddings.
One of the most common questions I receive from my couples during the planning process is: how to we carry our wedding clothes on the hike up a mountain?
Fear not, it’s actually quite simple!
In this post, I’m sharing the secret to packing your dress and wedding attire like a pro, so it arrives safely and ready to wear for your mountaintop elopement.
Start here: choose the right packing materials
To ensure that your wedding dress stays safe and secure during the hike, it's super important to choose the right packing materials well in advance.
If your attire came in a protective garment bag, which it so often does, keep it packed in that bag for the big day. If not, it’s a good idea to purchase a garment bag with some level of protection from the elements, and make sure it has a secure closure to keep your dress from falling out during the trek.
If you're planning to pack your wedding dress for a mountaintop elopement, you have two main options for actually carrying it up the trail (outlined below).
Option one: attach the dress to your hiking backpack
Attaching your dress to the outside of your hiking backpack is a perfect option if it’s too large to fit inside your daypack.
What you’ll need: at least two bungee cords
To do this, start by packing your dress into its original garment bag with the hanger sticking out of the top.
Then, either fold it in half or roll it up - still with the hanger accessible. This will keep the dress safe from dragging on the ground and collecting any dirt during the journey.
Next, attach the folded or rolled garment bag to the outside of your backpack, with the hanger looped into your backpack top loop. Then, wrap the two bungee cords around the backpack (between the back of the pack and your back) and around the attached garment bag.
Again, this option is great for shorter hikes or for dresses with fuller skirts that may not fit well inside a backpack. If you're looking for a more compact option, folding your dress into your hiking backpack may be the way to go.
Option two: fold the dress into your hiking backpack
If you prefer to have your wedding dress safely tucked into your hiking pack, rolling the dress a great option - as long as it’s small enough to fit inside.
Carefully place the rolled dress into an unscented large bin bag or plastic bag, and then directly into your hiking backpack. Remember that this will likely mean you need to place essential hiking items in your partner’s pack. But with a little bit of planning ahead, this is a super simple and common option for getting your wedding clothes to the top of a mountain.
When you get to the top, simply pop open a portable changing tent (I’ll have mine, if you’ve hired me as your photographer) and change into your wedding clothes with an epic view.
Now, it’s time to get married!
