This weekend something pretty special is happening to me—I’m getting ready to get married this week!

I wrote a while back about how I wanted to visit Thornbury Castle—and a few weeks later, I did! My partner and I decided it would be the perfect spot to elope in. We’re having a private ceremony on the castle grounds for our elopement weekend, but because we live in London, it’s going to mean travelling to the venue: walking, getting the underground, taking the train, and a longish taxi ride.

I’m trying to do two things while packing: 1. Make it easy to manoeuvre between mode of transport by packing light, and 2. Packing everything I need to get married in. Entirely contradictory goals!

So I’m making a packing list—a lot of things will be repeats of my slow-travel packing list, but it also will include all the special things I’ll need for the big day. The elopement weekend looks like this:

Day One: Travelling to Bristol, getting settled at the hotel & spending the night

Day Two: Wedding Day! Hair, makeup, flowers, pics, ceremony, vows, food. Lots to do on this day!

Day Three:  Departing that day!

Wedding packing lists are nothing new, and I think most brides elope for their weekend. But this kind of destination wedding feels pretty special for this Canadian who’s trying to mix a unique stay and a magical elopement! Here are all the things I think I’ll need:

Clothes for an Elopement Weekend

(Travel outfit: Linen trousers, cotton tee, jacket, and trainers)

• Wedding dress and accessories (like a veil or wedding jacket) in a waterproof garment bag. I know you’re supposed to use a cotton one to let the dress breathe, but whenever the dress isn’t in my house or the hotel room, waterproof is important to me. What if it falls off my suitcase and into a puddle? What if a stranger carrying a coffee bumps into me? Best to avoid all those worries and put it in some plastic for a bit!
• A toga to wear while getting ready in the hotel room (sitting in a hair/makeup chair in a wedding dress might lead to creases)
• Slippers, so I can wear something besides heels as I get ready
• A going-home outfit
• Warm pyjamas (the insulation in a castle can’t be super thick, and we’ve had some cold nights lately), sun-blocking eye mask, and earplugs
• Underwear, socks

Medication

• Prescription medication
• Painkillers and hydration packs, in case there’s a hangover the next day
• Anti-nausea pills for travelling
• Bandaids for new-shoes blisters
• Hand sanitiser
• Hypochlorous Acid spray
• Tissues, in case my makeup runs

Toiletries & Makeup

This one I kind of struggled with—because I’ve hired someone way better at hair and makeup than I am, who has a full kit. So I’m mostly packing skincare essentials and my favourite makeup pieces:

• Sunscreen
• Moisturiser
• Vitamin C Serum
• Lip balm
• Shampoo & Conditioner
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Lip gloss
• Mascara
• Mini concealer powder and mini brush, for touch-ups
• Finishing spray
• Nail file
• Tweezers
• Cotton pads & makeup remover

Electronics:

• Phone and charger cable
• Portable battery
• Headphones
• Digital camera for tracking memories!

Wedding Day Extras:

• A clothes steamer that’s small enough to travel with—perfect for ironing out wrinkles that clothes get while travelling (just make sure your dress can be steamed without staining!)
• Something I won’t be bringing, but a friend recommended to me: nipple covers. If your dress is thin, this will make sure that the front stays smooth. Also if this is the case—skin tape will keep everything in place!
• A Tide pen or stain spray, in case the white dress gets a small dash of tea or coffee on it
• A pocket mirror, to check my makeup before the photos begin (and make sure that I don’t have mascara running down my face if I cried during the ceremony!)
• A flower carrier bag. I actually sewed this a couple of days before leaving; it’s a special tote bag that can wrap up an open bouquet of flowers. I really wanted to keep my wedding bouquet, but carrying a bunch of flowers through trains and public transit won’t be easy with my hands on suitcases. So I’ve sewed this cloth flower wrap, and I’m hoping it’ll keep the flowers nice until I can take them home to get pressed!
• A hardback notebook – I’ve got my vows written on paper, because I don’t want to read from the blue screen of my phone. They’ll be tucked away until it’s time to recite them!

So, to recap: a Quick Elopement Packing Checklist :

• Something to record memories on the day
• Comfortable travel clothes
• Vows and tissues, in case vows get emotional
• Mini makeup for on-the-day touchups

That’s it for me—next time I’ll be posting as a Sadie, Sadie (married lady). Happy travels!