Shipping a wedding dress may sound expensive, but it's cheaper than you might think. Follow this guide to get an accurate shipping quote online, without leaving your house.
01. Delivery address
To get a shipping quote, you don't need the full address of the recipient. A city or postal code will be enough if sending domestic. For international shipments, the country of the receiver is all that's required.
Selling Tip
Don't be put off by international buyers! It's no more complicated sending a dress overseas than across the country.
02. Dress weight
A average wedding dress weighs about 3kg or 7lbs, but of course there is a wide range.
The easy way to find out what your dress weighs:
- Jump on your bathroom scales (without the dress) and note your weight
- Repeat the process, this time holding the dress up close to your body
- Subtract the first number from the second, and that is the weight of your dress
Make sure you round up to the nearest kilogram or pound - this is how carriers usually charge. Rounding up typically covers the extra weight of packaging too.
Selling Tip
Buyers pay shipping costs, so don't forget to include it to your final sale price.
03. Box size
You can determine the size of the box needed without having to drag your dress down to post office. Loosely fold the dress on a table or bed, into a square-like shape and measure the width, height and depth.
As a starting point, a typical wedding dress would fit in a 430x300x140mm or 18x16x9in box.
04. Ship it right
This bit is important! In the unlikely event your package goes missing, payment services such as PayPal will need proof of shipment to handle refunds appropriately.
Use a shipping service which includes:
- Door-to-door tracking that's viewable online
- Signature on delivery
- Insurance cover for full sale value
Selling Tip
Insurance cover benefits the seller, not the buyer, so never skimp on it. If the package is lost, the buyer will receive a full refund and you will receive the insurance money. If you don't insure it, you may be left out of pocket AND without a dress.
05. Calculate postage
Armed with the information above, you are ready to get a shipping estimate. Below are some recommended services to get an quote online:
- Australia: Australia Post
- Canada: Canada Post
- France: La Poste
- Germany: Deutsche Post
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong Post
- Ireland: An Post
- Netherlands: PostNL
- New Zealand: New Zealand Post
- Philippines: PHL Post
- Singapore: Singapore Post
- United Kingdom: Royal Mail
- United States: USPS
- International: DHL, Fedex & UPS
06. Import duties
If you are shipping a wedding dress internationally it may attract import duty and taxes. Any charges are the responsibility of the recipient, so it's important to know them. To calculate fees, see our help topic about Import duty and taxes.
Now that you have got the shipping quote sorted, you'll soon be ready to ship your wedding dress. See our guide: How to Ship a Wedding Dress
By Bruno Szajer
Lindsey