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I’ve seen a lot of strange behaviour on airplanes: bare feet on armrests, people clipping their nails, basically a mosh pit in the aisle (I’m not kidding, it was on a Kuwait Airways flight). However, what I never expected to see was someone wearing a wedding dress on a plane. And I definitely never thought that person would be me.
Three weeks ago, I flew from Vancouver to Cancun to get married just outside of Playa Del Carmen. One month before the trip, I was having lunch with the PMB team, Anshul and Rachel, when a casual conversation took an unexpected turn. Anshul and I shook hands on a bet: if I wore my wedding dress on the flight home, he’d pay for the flight.
Trying to protect the dress mid-flight
There are two important things you should know about me: (1) I take my bets seriously, and (2) I will never turn down a free flight. I also have a tendency to say yes to things most people wouldn’t, especially when I know it’ll make a great story.
Fast forward to a Sunday afternoon in late January at the Cancun airport, where I carefully carted my wedding dress through the airport in its garment bag. The airport was crowded, loud, and dirty – very not bridal – so I made the responsible choice to wait until I boarded my Air Canada flight before putting it on. This felt like a sensible plan, yet it failed to account for one important detail: flight cabins are a lot smaller than airport terminals.
I was flying on a Boeing 737 Max 8, which isn’t exactly known for its generous personal space. Putting on a wedding dress under normal circumstances is a project in and of itself; doing it in the galley of a Boeing 737 is an extreme sport. The space was narrow, people kept trying to get past to use the bathroom, and though the turbulence was light, it was quite unhelpful. But through determination, core strength, the help of my dedicated husband, and what I can only describe as bridal willpower, I made it work.
The Economy Cabin: CUN – YVR
I emerged from the galley fully dressed and walked back to my seat like this was a completely normal thing to do on a flight. Naturally, some passengers stared, but surprisingly, no one commented or asked about it. When I made eye contact with people staring, I explained that I’d gotten married two days earlier and was fulfilling a dare so that my flight would be paid for. My explanation was universally accepted and immediately forgotten. Either seeing someone in a wedding dress on a flight is more common than I realized, or we’ve collectively raised the bar for what qualifies as interesting.
Explaining the situation to other passengers
What surprised me most, however, was the cabin crew’s reaction, or lack thereof. One flight attendant finally acknowledged the situation by asking if I’d bought the dress in Cancun. I replied, “No, I got married two days ago, and I’m wearing it because of a bet.” She paused, said, “oh” and then walked away. No congratulations. No laugh. No celebratory champagne. Just Air Canada efficiency.
So here’s my main takeaway: if you’re going to publicly embarrass yourself on a flight, make sure you’re flying with an airline that will at least commit to the bit.
That said, the bet was honoured, the flight was paid for, the dress made it home safely (and is currently being dry cleaned, don’t worry).
Though I don’t plan on ever wearing a wedding dress on a flight again, if the offer is compelling…I’m listening 🙂
As originally intended
