How to Pack for a Special Occasion Trip

Earlier this month, Eric and I took a weekend trip to San Francisco to celebrate one of his cousin's weddings. It was fairly short, in that we flew in Friday after work and flew home on Sunday, but we were able to see everyone we wanted and party for an evening and eve got in some sightseeing.

I hate wasting time on a short trip with waiting for a bag to come out of the carousel and I always worry if my bag will make it to my destination, so I don't chance it if I don't have to. I'm also into saving baggage fees for something more fun, like dining out. There are some circumstances where you have to attend a special event and you can't pack light, but if you're a guest at a wedding, you can still get everything you need in a carry-on and personal item. Here's how:

Invest in a weekender, or equivalent, with a garment bag

Unless you want to spend time ironing, which I definitely do not, having a bag that has a garment bag as part of it is a great way to travel with fancy dresses and suits. We have a Skyroll garment bag and roller bag for such occasions. We took the original Skyroll for this trip, since it was so short. It's not available anymore, it doesn't look, but you can get something similar at a reasonable price that is still carry-on size. Don't want to carry a bag? Here's a roller garment.

Roll your other clothes

If you've been following me for a while, you know that I'm a big believer in rolling clothes. This bag makes that easier to do, because it's already round, and it doesn't require a packing cube.

Day 1 - On the plane

Wear clothes on the plane you can re-wear at your destination

I almost always travel in a pair of black pants, because they go with everything and they can be dressed up or down, depending on what I'm doing. If we had gotten in earlier, we would have driven straight from the airport to the restaurant the family was doing dinner at. If it hadn't been St. Patrick's Day, we would have worn less nerdy shirts, but we got in too late and it was St. Patrick's Day, so we decided to have fun with it. I also wore my black cardigan that went with all my clothes, for the chill, and we both had rain jackets.

Morning - Day 2

Only bring two pairs of shoes

For this short trip, we both only had our special occasion shoes and the shoes we wore on the plane, but this is my usual rule for travel: bring a good pair of walking shoes and a dressy pair of walking shoes, like sandals or ballet flats for women and loafers or oxfords for men.

Day 3

Pack the bare bones

We were only gone for 2 1/2 days, and while we could have re-worn one of our shirts to travel back home, I still packed two shirts for each of us. Both shirts went with the pants and shoes we wore. When it comes to underwear, I make sure to pack a pair for each day and an extra pair, just in case. Normally, I don't take extras, because I have time to do laundry if I have to. The same goes for socks.

When it came to packing my toiletry bag, I do what I always do before each trip, I completely empty my bag and evaluate everything I have to take what I absolutely need. For this trip, I added a selection of bobby pins, some of which were decorative, and a second small eyeshadow palette with more classic colors for the wedding. 

 

Bag I purchased. It's still fairly small at 8"x8", but it held everything I needed.

(But) Don't forget the necessities

By this, I mean important things for the special occasion: essential undergarments, ties, a belt, jewelry. Anything you can wear on the plane is great, because that's one less thing you have to pack. I purchased a cute purse that I could use for the wedding, but also for walking around, and I packed it in my personal item and had the bare minimum in my Travelon compact sling* for on the plane. (*see my review here.)

I highly recommend a lint roller for fancy events. I have a Flint, which I love. It twists down to fit inside the roller, so the sticky part isn't exposed when you aren't using it. It has the best pick-up of any other roller I've ever used. You can buy refills for it, so it can last you for a long, long time.

Choose the right "personal item"

I have a lot of travel bags, but for this trip, I chose to bring along this expandable laptop bag that a friend bought me. You can use it for just your laptop and accessories, or you can expand it for a bigger backpack. This is where I stashed all our toiletries, charging cords, a wrap, snacks, and my laptop. Eric also carries a backpack with different snacks, his jacket, and usually a book he's in the middle of reading and headphones. We both have extra room in case we buy things at our destination.

Afternoon/Evening - Day 2

With a little bit of strategy, you can easily pack everyday wear with special occasion wear in just a carry-on and a personal item. This is the second time we've traveled for a wedding and had to bring along extra things, but we pack two people into one carry-on usually, unless we're going for longer trips, then we each have one. If we can do it, then you can do it. It just takes a little bit of practice. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and you learn what things are important and what things you can leave at home.

What's your biggest challenge for traveling for a special event/occasion?

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How to Travel More Safely

We just came back from a trip where our car got broken into and some of our stuff was stolen, which sucks really hard, but things could have been worse and insurance will cover our things and the broken window. Things don't always go to plan on trips, and I'll be taking new precautions on future trips, but for now, here are some ways to travel more safely:

Photo credit

I hope all your travels are good ones where you stay safe and healthy. Stay tuned for more tips on how to keep your electronics secure, wherever you are.

Have you ever had a health emergency or had your things stolen while on a trip?

7 Things to Do On a Layover

Most people hate the airport, and I get it, but I also know it's a necessary part of a vacation, so I always love to explore new airports. I will plan what I want to do and where I want to eat at airports long before we even travel. I have Gate Guru downloaded to my phone, so I can see what art and other cool stuff there is at the airport. If you hate the travel part of traveling, here are ways to actually enjoy the airport.

Why do I enjoy the airport so much? It could be that we have one of the best airports in the country (Travel + Leisure has awarded it six years running), but I like most other city's airports, too. I'll tell you why: Viewing the airport as a part of your trip makes it seem way better than just a waiting room to get into a smaller waiting room to get to where you really want to go.

It's like a mall that also has a portal to another destination! (Yeah, I actually hate the mall, but it's the best comparison.) Once you start thinking this way, you might feel differently in the future too, not be one of those annoyed harried people who look at the route monitors with a permanent scowl. Listen, you'll eventually get to where you want to be, so chill out and enjoy yourself. Get  a snack or a beer, buy a new magazine and go check out what the airport has to offer.

I love these new pieces at PDX. They're crochet!

Art collection

All airports now have some sort of art collection. Some even have their own galleries for those travelers who have quite a bit of time to kill. I always like to see the different things on display at different airports. Take some time to wander your terminal to check out the exhibits available. One of my favorites is the History of Flight "museum" in Harry Reid Airport in Las Vegas. They are remodeling, so we'll see what it looks like in its new home.

Play area

Travel with kids can be trying and, after having to sit for hours without getting to flail or even stand up, jumping around and annoying people near the baggage carousel is not a fantastic way to burn off energy (or make friends). Head to the nearest play area, which almost all airports have, and let them climb and run and yell and whatever else so they can be ready to fly or for the next leg of your journey. Bonus is that they are usually airplane themed and lots of kids love pretending to be a pilot. 

Workout rooms

These may be few and far between, but if you're lucky enough to go through an airport with some, pack some shorts and a tee in your carry-on to do some running or strength training. Getting some exercise is a great way to stay alert and get moving after a long flight of being folded into a tiny space. If you normally get a workout in during the day, then you're not missing out by sitting on the plane.

Movies

You're probably bringing your laptop or tablet, so why not download some movies or TV shows to watch if you have 90+ minutes to spare on your layover. If you're lucky, you might be in one of those fancy schmancy airports that have an actual theater for travelers and you can see a new movie or short indie films on a big screen.

Spa

Treat yourself to a massage, pedicure of something else a little luxurious. I've been lucky enough to get a manicure at the Butter London location in Seattle, but we've also hit up the XpressSpas on trips as well. They do their best to make your treatments short and sweet, so if you have a tighter connection, you can still catch your flight.

Specialty souvenir shops

Bring home gifts to commemorate your trip for yourself or others. If you're just passing through, this is also a great way to sample some of the local flavor, whether it's candy or beer or whatever else. Fair warning, when you go through Portland (PDX) and think Oregon Rain sounds like a fantastic water choice, just don't.

Go sightseeing

If you have a fairly long layover, don't think you can't get out and enjoy your stopover city a bit. Last year, we had 8 hours in Baltimore on our way to Paris, so we stored our luggage and made a fun day out of it. On our way to Philadelphia, any flight we chose out of PDX had a layover in SFO and the outgoing flight from there wasn't until 10:30pm no matter when we flew, so we took the earliest flight, had 12 hours there and met a friend for some sightseeing and catching up. We went to lunch, the zoo, the wax museum, the San Francisco Dungeon and finished up with dinner at Pier 39, then went back to the airport and had a nice sleep overnight on the plane. 

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Buy something you forgot 

Or entertainment. My favorite new shops are the 24-hour kiosks in airports. You can buy everything from travel-sized makeup to fancy noise-canceling headphones to an ebook reader. You pay full price, but if you forget that sunscreen you love from Supergoop! or the best ever Benefit foundation, or even a toy for your dog, you can get them at whatever time you're stuck at the airport.

What do you like to do to pass the time at airports?