Our bags were packed, we found our signed wedding certificate (another story I’ll share at another time) and we were getting ready to board our connecting flight from Houston to Cancun as the flight attendant stopped me before I boarded the plane.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but the overhead storage is full, we will need to check your carry on.”
I looked at her in disbelief.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I’d really prefer to keep my bag with me and can fit it under my chair.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” The attendant replied, still smiling, even though I could tell she was getting a little unnerved by my hesitancy.
The truth was - my carry on bag had all of my - uhm - necessities for my honeymoon and I wasn’t too keen on the idea of giving the airline what I considered my most important bag.
However, in order to board the plane I handed over my newly monogrammed “Weaver” bag to the airline attendant and walked to my seat with Jacob, pulling my headphones on and zoning out for our two and a half hour flight.
As we got off the plane and headed towards the luggage area to pick up our bags. As we watched the baggage claim area get less and less crowded I anxiously waited, hoping to see my monogrammed carry-on-turned-checked-bag come out from behind the mysterious airport wall that connected the tarmac to waiting passengers.
Turns out, we made it to Cancun, my “necessity” bag did not.
To say I was peeved would be an understatement. My face was flushed with embarrassment as we waved down an airline employee, asking about the status of my bag and having to describe its...contents to the middle aged man who wrote down “intimates and swimsuits” in the description line.
He assured us our bag would be coming in on the next flight and they would drop it off at the resort when it came in that evening. Begrudgingly, we obliged and made our way to our resort.
When we checked into our absolutely stunning resort we were met with champagne flutes, staff who took our bags and gave us a tour of the facilities, spas, pools and buffets we would be enjoying for the week. As we were shown our room we walked in and were surprised to find two queen size beds.
I repeat - two beds.
To the shock of Jacob and I, we both looked at each other slightly confused. Between losing my luggage, and getting two beds it seemed like the world was conspiring to have us stay on first base as a married couple.
Luckily, we had the issue fixed by the next day when my luggage arrived and we were given a new room with a better sleeping situation.
Nowadays, we look back and laugh about it - however, we wanted to share 5 tips that can help a couple not have the same thing happen to them!
Try to opt in for a direct flight to your destination: This allows for the likelihood of your luggage to get lost to drastically decrease, as it’s only going on 1 plane to get to 1 location.
Call your resort ahead of time to confirm lodging options: Our two-bed fiasco would have been an easy fix if we had just called to confirm that we wanted a room with one bed! Many resorts and hotels are happy to accommodate you - all you have to do is speak up!
Spread your clothes out between 2 bags: By dividing your clothing between two suitcases, you can ensure that you will always have at least 1-2 change of clothes with you at all times. Whether you pack a change of clothes in your carry-on or your significant other’s bag, make sure you have enough just in case your luggage gets delayed.
Keep your luggage tracking numbers: If you don’t keep the receipt for your luggage tags, it can be nearly impossible to prove that your luggage is in fact yours, and it’s even harder to track! Keep your important documents in a travel folder AND take a picture of them so you have extra copies.
Utilize a travel agent (like Weddings by Weaver!): When accidents or bumps in the road occur, having a travel agency as your point of contact can help mitigate issues and resolve them quicker than you going in alone.
By following the above tips, you can ensure that if problems do arise, you will be prepared and ready for anything that gets thrown your way!