Scary though it sounds, your friend may have to find another way. I had a destination wedding, almost twenty years ago, and the bridal shop worked with the hotel where the wedding was taking place. The bridal shop in NYC had my wedding gown and veil delivered overnight to the hotel (admittedly across the country, not on the other side of the world). They all kept track of the gown's whereabouts such that it was never "out of sight" at any moment. When I arrived at the hotel (the Four Seasons in Las Vegas), the dress and veil were hanging in my closet, beautifully pressed, and the hotel's wedding planner sent up a seamstress to make sure there were no last-minute alterations needed. It could not have worked out better.