Help!! Tricky Packing ??s

[justmestace]

We are just a short time away now from the wedding cruise...almost have everything under control...almost. I need your help! I made silk bouquets for the attendants and my DD's bouquet...plus we have a ton of other wedding stuff...not to mention all the dresses. How can I possibly pack all of it? Especially the flowers, without crushing them?? Is there anyone out there (a florist maybe) that has a solution?
Thank you so much!

 

[MushusRSXtypeS]

Well I'm not exactly a florist but I've had to handle transporting a lot of corsages, flowers, etc for formal events for my school, formal events, etc. Anywho a good way of preventing them from getting squished are tupperware boxes. You could either put them individually in smaller tupperware if they fit and then all into a large enough plastic box so that they are all together. You can find great plastic boxes that are very sturdy at a place called the Container Store. They even have some plastic boxes on wheels so that you dont have to necessarily carry it but roll it around instead, if that helps at all with all that you are bringing. You could also just go to your local Target or similar stores. Container store is just more convenient because every imaginable size and kind of container. Or you could just put the little tupperware boxes into a large cardboard box so long as its sturdy enough and wont collapse. It also would be easier to dispose of. If your bouquets have long stems then you could go to your local florist and get long stem rose boxes that come in several sizes and types. Well I hope that helps you out.

Congrats on your wedding and have lots of fun!

 

[justmestace]

Thank you! I hadn't thought of the plastic, tupperware type box. Don't know where my head is. We have an Organized Living store, I imagine I'd find those there, they have a ton of different shaped storage containers. I was just stuck on cardboard.
Thank you again so much!

 

[mmouse37]

Could you possibly ship them to the ship...or maybe enlist the aid of Shirley at the Perfect Gift....mail them to her and possibly she could deliver them to the ship. I obviously do now what to speak for her or know what it would cost...but she is always offering to help out in any way she can and has done some wonderful things for us DIS'ers in the past. If it was me I would call her and talk over the options. It would be a lot less for you to carry to the ship.

MJ

 

[Wishing on a star]

Okay, here is what I have seen done for things like these. For smaller items, like corsages, small containers might work well. Think lightweight disposable containers, not heavy tupperware! For larger items, like bows, silk flowers, etc... get clear plastic bags, put an item inside, blow it up a little, knot it really good so it does not deflate.... Think, kinda like a bag of potato chips!

Hey, asking Shirley is a good idea that I hadn't thought of!

With shipping, the lightweight containers and plastic bags will really save $$$.....

Hope this helps!

 

[justmestace]

Great ideas! My future son-in-law has relatives in Florida who are meeting us for dinner the night before we sail, and I'd thought of shipping things to them, but I'm afraid of how UPS or the mail would treat the packages. No worse than baggage handlers I guess, if I were to box them and then pack them in a suitcase. There is no way I'm hand-carrying it all.
I should contact Shirley anyway, about some sort of gift for the bride & groom....as if the cruise isn't enough!
Thank you all again!

 

[SeaSpray]

I haven't taken a Disney cruise yet, but just got back from a Royal Caribbean cruise and I found a GREAT tip for packing all kinds of items, INCLUDING breakables or things you don't want to get squished.

The ziplock bags! I bought the LARGE 2.5 gallon bags to pack our clothes, toiletries, etc in, and on the way TO the cruise, I'd squish all the air out of the bags to make the clothes really flattened out and it took up so much less space.

Then coming home, when I had the souvenir glasses and other breakable items, I'd wrap each glass in a shirt or something, then place it inside one of the large ziplock bags, zip it almost all the way closed, then blow air into it to blow it up like a balloon, then zip the rest of the way and they remain airtight like that, thereby cushioning whatever is inside.

The best thing about these ziplock bags is that they fold down flat practically to nothing and take up almost no space when you're done with them, and are of course disposable. I think ziplock bags would work great for the way there AND the way back, and would be totally out of your way while on the ship, so storage and taking up extra space wouldn't be a problem.

Happy wedding!

P.S. I suggest the lightweight garment bags for the dresses. They work just as well as those heavy, bulky garment bags, cost MUCH less ($8.95 compared to $29.99 per bag, at Walmart), and they too fold up nice and small and flat when not in use!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Check your local dollar store for garment bags. I bought a ton of them in all sorts of lengths to store costumes after a recent production at school. A little heavier than cleaner bags but not much.

Happy Wedding!
Deb

 

[mobetsy]

Might sound a little bit funny, but what about a large cooler on wheels as the big container holding all the smaller ones? I know DCL has a "no coolers" rule, but I wonder if you were using it essentially as luggage AND you discussed it with them in advance, explaining the use, if you might not be able to get around that. One way or another you are going to need to bring a large hardside container on board the ship, and the cooler would have the advantage of the wheels to make it easier. You could tape it around a number of times with duct tape to keep it closed in transit. Dh and friends have done this for fishing trips in Mexico, so the airlines must not have a problem with it.

 

[justmestace]

The cooler idea has some merit...I was cringing at the thought of having to buy a hard-sided suitcase. I'm the family joke, every time I go somewhere, I buy so much stuff that I have to buy a new suitcase to take it all home! If anyone needs to borrow a suitcase, they all know they can call me. But I don't have a hard-side.....I do, however, have a large cooler on wheels! Since we are in constant contact with DCL Group & Wedding coordinators, I don't think I'd have a problem. Thanks for all the great ideas so far, if there are more, I'm listening!!