Shipping my wedding dress and other personal items

I am planning to ship my wedding dress over to the UK sometime this week, along with some other used personal clothing items. What is the best way to ship this USPS without having to pay duty and VAT taxes when it arrives?

Can I still fill out a C3 form if I don't know exactly what my move date or wedding date is yet?  I could just mark the box and customs form as used personal items. However, I would still need to insure the package since the wedding dress was about $450 and if it got lost that would be a hardship to have to replace. If I add a value to the package for insurance then they will delay it in customs and that would be a headache! So, I'm not sure what to do exactly...

I have looked online for a couple of hours and I can't seem to find a straight answer on this. I know the HMRC website says that to be eligible for relief of these taxes, your personal belongings must be shipped over 2 months before the wedding or 4 months after the wedding. However, shipping my dress 2 months before the wedding will not be an option because I will be in he UK at that time. I also have to get the dress altered and waiting until 2 months before the wedding is cutting it very close.
 
I don't want to take the dress on my flight over because I am already going to be at my carry-on limit since I have to bring over some camera equipment and other personal items that I cannot ship by freight.

It seems confusing. Can anybody help clarify this for me? 

I am planning to ship my wedding dress over to the UK sometime this week, along with some other used personal clothing items. What is the best way to ship this USPS without having to pay duty and VAT taxes when it arrives?

Can I still fill out a C3 form if I don't know exactly what my move date or wedding date is yet?  I could just mark the box and customs form as used personal items. However, I would still need to insure the package since the wedding dress was about $450 and if it got lost that would be a hardship to have to replace. If I add a value to the package for insurance then they will delay it in customs and that would be a headache! So, I'm not sure what to do exactly...

I have looked online for a couple of hours and I can't seem to find a straight answer on this. I know the HMRC website says that to be eligible for relief of these taxes, your personal belongings must be shipped over 2 months before the wedding or 4 months after the wedding. However, shipping my dress 2 months before the wedding will not be an option because I will be in he UK at that time. I also have to get the dress altered and waiting until 2 months before the wedding is cutting it very close.
 
I don't want to take the dress on my flight over because I am already going to be at my carry-on limit since I have to bring over some camera equipment and other personal items that I cannot ship by freight.

It seems confusing. Can anybody help clarify this for me? 

You said it yourself: it had to be OVER two months before the wedding... not exactly two months!

My advice, and yes i'm a bloke. But the safest option would be ditch your regular clothes and put your put your wedding dress in your suitcase the hold. Then post these regular 'replacable' items on. As far as i am aware all carry-on must fit in the over head lockers on a flight. -  and yes i have seen a flight attendant walk through from premier ecomony or business class and stuff a wedding dress into an overhead locker!! With audable gasps from the passengers.
If you can't fit it in the hold with your current allowance.  Pay the extra luggage fee - it'll be cheaper than the cost of shipping it.
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