Sending home DIY projects

louisianablue

I had always planned to mail my DIY projects back to New Orleans before my wedding, but now I'm worried it will get lost in UPS.  Do you think it's better to check it at the airport?  I think the cost would roughly be the same.  I do have a direct flight from New York to New Orleans.  I think I will have a panic attack if stuff gets lost in the mail.

What did y'all do?

Brooke4377

I would ship it.  You can insure it cheaply for a high enough sum that you could purchase replacements if it was lost....meaning you could insure a box for $1,000.00 for a very minimal fee.  Unless you feel the projects are unreplaceable.

I believe airlines lose stuff all the time, and they have alot of fine print telling you they don't reimburse you for any of it!  I have had jewelry stolen, things lost or damaged...UPS, FedEx and the USPS are all safer bets IMO.

louisianablue

I can't insure the hours that I spent on my guest books, second line hankies or wedding programs.  :-(  I've literally been working on these projects every night for the last three months.  I will be devastated if they get lost either way.

NO2012

Are you going to carry the DIY items on with you or you will have to check them?  Eeek, that's a tough call.  The things I can't live without (our rings, my great- grandmother's rosary, etc.) I will carry on with me.  The rest of the stuff (programs, second line hankies, centerpiece stuff, etc.) I am going to ship ahead a couple of weeks so if something were to happen to them I have time to do something about it.  If the airline loses it or damages it, you may be on a short deadline to replace them depending on how far ahead of your wedding you are going home (I seem to recall you saying you will be home a full week before your wedding).  I will only have 3 full days before my wedding day, and I don't want to risk throwing together programs and frantically coming up with centerpieces in those few days.  Just my thoughts.  I have only recently begun to obsess about this.

louisianablue

My wedding is in 12 days.  I'm definitely going to have to check them.  I have over 250 guests, so there are 250 programs, second line hankies, etc.  If they are lost, there is no way I will replace them.  Maybe I should just ship everything tomorrow and send it second day air.  I just can't decide.

RYLZ

L, you know we had A LOT OF STUFF! :-). I shipped bulky stuff 2 or more weeks ahead so there would be time to find them if they went off track. Everything DIY I brought on our non-stop flight and we paid $70 for 2 extra bags filled with custom linens, programs, menus, signs, etc. I don't think bags arelikely to be lost on a non-stop flight and on the off chance that they are, it usually only takes a day or two for them to be located. If you do decide to ship them, then I'd go fedex 3-day freight because it's still pretty fast but way cheaper than their regular services (and not as crazy slow as ups Ground).

NO2012

Agreed that the chances of a bag getting lost on a nonstop domestic flight are slim to none. It's with international and/or connections that you have issues. If your wedding is in 12 days wow, it is here already?! I would check it on your flight at this point.

Brooke4377

I still don't see why you can't carry on....maybe I'm confused, but to me 250 hankies and programs AND a guestbook would all fit in the standard carryon suitcase.  I agree with others that MOST of the time luggage isn't lost on direct flights, but that's if it makes it on the plane!  In college we went via direct flight to the bahamas and my best friend had no clothes for a week because her suitcase didn't show up.  You have no breakables, however, and all that said I'm sure the liklihood of your bag being misplaced is miniscule...AND they do usually locate them quickly.  I can appreciate your concern though, after all your effort so I'd really, really try to fit them in a carryon suitcase.  At least the hankies and the guestbook, huh?