Planning what to wear to a bevy of wedding events is difficult enough without adding in the extra challenges of limited space and weight restrictions. I’m one of those people that will get EVERYTHING to fit into one bag rather than pay for extra baggage fees. In order to still be prepared for looking the part at all the wedding events and still being able to pack light, I’ve come up with a list of rules that I need to apply to my wedding trip packing.
Tips & Tricks for Women’s Travel Ready Wedding Attire
First, you will need all your every day clothing items as well as the specialty items for wedding events. At the wedding I’m attending next week I’ll need a special outfit for a bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, and the wedding itself. Second, you’ll need all the accessories that go with your outfits!
My Rules for Packing Wedding Event Attire:
1. Get more than 1 use out of EVERYTHING (unless of course you are required to wear a bridesmaid dress… that can only be used once for this particular trip!). Other than that though, it does not go in my bag unless I can wear the item more than one time.
2. Limit the heavy/large items. Normally I’d be looking to multi-purpose my clothing items by switching out the accessories. However, when traveling, I do the opposite. I try to cut down on the number of shoes, bags, and heavier jewelry items that I bring with me. Packing shoes/bags/jewelry that can be used with several outfits is ideal.
3. When in doubt— leave it OUT! I’ve gone on WAY too many trips where I didn’t even touch half of the items in my bag. I had thought “maybe” and left the items out. I’ve never once come across a time where I couldn’t make something else in my bag work or pick up a needed item for a reasonable price.
A Glimpse of my Suitcase:
I have several events that I have to pack for in my upcoming trip for my Sis-in-law’s wedding. Not only do I have to pack wisely for myself, but for my husband and son as well. We are TRYING to pack everything in one large checked bag that has a weight limit of 40 lbs. I honestly don’t know if we will be able to do it. But, we are certainly going to try! We’ll need outfits for 7 days along with outfits for three wedding events. Thankfully, there is a washer on the premises of where we are staying. So, we will be able to wash a few items if needed. Here is a quick glimpse of the items I plan on packing in my suitcase.
***The following product links may be affiliate links. (*) marks an Affiliate Link. Note: Links updated in 2024 are not exact matches, but as close as I could find. ***
Lightweight Summer Clothes for a week in Texas. I like having longer pants in case we go into restaurants or other venues that are COLD. They know how to use air conditioning in Texas. But, temps will also be in the high 90s for most of our trip, so I’ll keep all of my clothing thin and lightweight. I’m packing two pairs of pants, three tops, and two pairs of shoes for 7 days of wear (along with the special occasion clothing). Some days I will only be wearing an outfit for a short amount of time because I’ll be at wedding events that get different clothing considerations.
Clothing items for all of the above outfits (as close of finds as possible):
Pants: Black Skinny Ankle Pants*, Distressed Boyfriend Jeans * (capri length)
Tops: White blouse*, Pocket Tank*, Black Tee*, Chambray Shirt*
Shoes: Grey Flats*, Black Sandals*
Accessories: Brightly Colored Earrings* or these earrings* are also so cute!, Gold Bangle Bracelets*, Long Silver Necklace*, Brightly Colored Scarf*, Sunglasses*, my Oregon necklace* (I’ve gotta show the state love!)
Wedding Event Outfits— I am attending a bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, and wedding during this trip. I am a bridesmaid so I have a dress and shoes already chosen for me for the wedding. The tricky part will be multi-purposing the items I’ve already packed along with a few dressier items to keep my baggage space in check.
1. Bridal Shower: Pink Maxi Dress*, black sandals, brightly colored earrings, and gold bangles
2. Rehearsal Dinner: Black Cocktail Dress*, Grey Heels* , Tear Drop Silver Earrings*
3. Wedding: Green Bridesmaid Dress and grey heels
Hopefully you can visualize how I am reusing certain items to help with baggage space, but still feel like a put-together human on my trip. Check out my post on Travel Basics as well!
How do you plan your packing for an event-busy trip?
