LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Home > Guides > Shipping a wedding dress
Pack the dress in a garment bag, then inside a sturdy box with tissue paper between the folds; never fold beadwork, sequins, or lace against itself. Add shipping insurance for the full replacement value and require a signature on delivery.
Up front on scope: LetterAgent's shipping labels are Canada-only Xpresspost with a 5 kg limit, so this is general guidance for the many dresses that ship internationally or weigh more than that.
If the wedding is a flight away, carrying the dress on the plane is almost always safer than shipping it. Most airlines let you hang a garment bag in the cabin closet if you ask the crew nicely, and a dress in the overhead bin beats a dress in a cargo hold. Ship only when carrying is not an option: sending the dress ahead to the venue, shipping a purchased dress home from a salon, or mailing it to a seamstress for alterations.
The method bridal salons use: dress inside a breathable garment bag, then the bag folded gently into a rigid box, not a soft mailer. Steps that matter:
| Step | Why |
|---|---|
| Clean hands, clean surface | Oils and dirt transfer to light fabrics instantly |
| Tissue between every fold | Prevents creases from setting and keeps layers from rubbing |
| Beadwork and lace never folded against itself | Beads catch and tear neighboring fabric under pressure |
| Garment bag inside a sturdy box | The bag stops snags; the box stops crushing |
| Fill empty space with tissue, not newspaper | Stops shifting; newsprint ink can stain |
| Do not vacuum-seal | Compression can crack beads and set permanent creases in structured bodices |
Veils and accessories travel in their own tissue inside the same box. Shoes go in a separate box or bag so heels cannot press into the fabric.
Insure the dress for its full replacement value, not what you paid if it was a sample sale. Take dated photos of the dress before packing, and keep the receipt. Signature-on-delivery is worth it for an item like this: it proves exactly when and to whom the box was handed over, and it keeps the carrier from leaving a box marked with a bridal shop's return address on a porch. If the worst happens, the photos and the declared value are what your claim rests on.
Earlier than feels necessary. Ship to arrive at least a week before it is needed, addressed to a person who will be there: the wedding planner, the venue coordinator, or a family member, not an empty rental house. Build in a buffer for a missed delivery attempt and a re-delivery. Never schedule the arrival for the day before the wedding; one weather delay and the timeline collapses. And avoid Friday shipments when possible, since a delay then means the box sits in a warehouse all weekend.
Then the dress also needs a customs form with an honest description and value, and the recipient may owe duties on arrival. Check whether the destination country has quirks around textiles: some do. Keep the tracking number and the customs receipt together, and warn the recipient that a signature and possibly a duty payment will be needed at delivery. For a one-of-a-kind or heirloom dress, some people use a specialty courier or a bridal shipping service rather than a standard parcel carrier.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com