You will be jetting off to your destination wedding before you know it! It’s all so exciting, but I do appreciate that it’s also pretty dang stressful. I mean, who would have thought there would be SO much planning involved? Am I right?
Topping the laundry list of concerns today is; now that you’ve managed to find the perfect beach wedding dress, you need to figure out to get it across thousands of miles, over borders, through airports, and to your wedding destination completely unscathed!
Deep breath. We are here to help. Here is everything that you need to know about how to travel on an airplane with your wedding dress.
Keep calm and carry on
Please do not put your wedding dress into your checked luggage.
Let me repeat that.
Please!. DO NOT put your wedding dress into your checked luggage!
Oh my goodness, could you even imagine getting off the airplane, and finding a gown that is a shadow of its former self, battered and bruised from baggage handling brutality? Or worse yet…missing somewhere in transit? Gah!
You do not want to deal with that kind of nightmare.
You are allowed to fly with your wedding dress as your carry-on item on every major airline we asked, and so you should. Please be sure to double check with your airline about their exact policy for carrying on a wedding dress, but since they are in the business of customer service, you are probably going to find them pretty accommodating with your beloved gown when you travel.
(The Knot also has helpful information about carrying on your wedding dress on five major airlines.)
Even though you won’t be more than a few feet from your dress on the airplane, still be sure to clearly label it with your name, email address, and contact details of your destination, just in case.
Download our FREE Ultimate Guide To Getting Married In The Riviera Maya
How to carry-on a wedding dress
Now that we have established that checking your wedding dress a big No-No, you’re probably wondering exactly how you are supposed to transport all that tulle and chiffon on board an aircraft?
There are 5 ways to pack your wedding dress to carry on the airplane:
1. Garment Bag
Your bridal shop will most likely send your wedding dress home with you in a garment bag, but take a good look at it and decide if it is tough enough to stand up to the rigors of travel, or if you want to invest in something tougher like this bridal dress garment bag.
Make sure that the bridal shop also demonstrates how to carefully fold your wedding dress into the garment bag to minimize wrinkles.
Arrive at the gate early, and arrange for the attendant to hang your dress in their available closet space. Some airlines offer a preload feature for your dress if you call ahead.
However, be prepared for no available hanging space, because closets are prioritized to items that cannot go overhead, like wheelchairs and surfboards. If that happens, then gently lay your dress over the bags in the overhead bin, while remembering to be considerate to the owners of those bags.
Also, if cost is not a concern, did you know that you can actually buy an extra seat for your dress where it will lay beside you? That may seem a little extravagant, I know, but consider that the extra seat also entitles you to bring another carry-on bag. Whoop whoop!
2. Vacuum Bag
If your wedding gown is a Cinderella style, or has layers of poofy fabric, then you are a good candidate for a vacuum bag. Simply pack your dress while inside its garment bag into a vacuum bag of the same length, and then suck all the air out. Then you can pack that into a tri-fold carry-on Wally bag (below), and you are good to go! Just be sure to double check that the finished product meets the carry-on measurements of the airline.
You can (carefully) pack your wedding dress yourself into a regulation size carry-on suitcase, and then pop it into the overhead bin on the airplane. Here are things to consider:
- use a hard shell suitcase to protect your dress from any spills or rain during travel
- turn your dress inside out before folding it to protect any delicate details
- put tissue paper in between every fold as you fold your dress
- protect it inside from any liquids that could spill, or jewelry that could snag
4. Professionally Packed
You can have your bridal shop pack your dress to fit into your carry-on suitcase for you. This is part of the service they offer, and they are experts at this sort of thing. Then all you need to do is pop it into your regulation size carry-on suitcase and store it in the overhead bin on board. Just be sure not to pack anything else with it that might drip or rip.
5. Wedding Dress Travel Box
Destination weddings are a booming industry, and now there are many companies that sell specially designed boxes for your wedding dress that meet the carry-on size requirements for most airlines and charters. They come with everything you need to pack your dress, like acid-free tissue paper to put in between every fold. Check out this Destination Wedding Kit.
How to fix wedding dress wrinkles
The moment you arrive at your final destination, unpack your dress and hang it up.
No matter which method you chose to transport your wedding dress, you can expect that there will be some wrinkles. More than likely your resort will provide a service to have your dress professionally pressed, and our brides have given us nothing but positive feedback in doing this. Call ahead to make the arrangements, but if the service is not available to you, then pack a travel sized steamer with you in your carry-on. (Just be careful to cover the top so it doesn’t drip on your dress if you are packing that in your carry-on too.)
Okay! So now you are an expert in how to travel with your wedding dress to your destination wedding.
Phew. Check another item off the wedding planning list!
Which method did you choose to carry-on your dress, and why? We want to hear about it in the comments below.
And if you are getting married on the beach in Cancun, and still have ‘Find the best photographers in Riviera Maya’ on your list of things to do, then get in touch with us today! We are Fun In The Sun Weddings, the best wedding photographers in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
Download our FREE Ultimate Guide To Getting Married In The Riviera Maya
This post contains links that may earn us commissions. Think of it as a tip for bringing you great content!
Choosing wedding dresses is something very special for Groom & Bride to make feel both completely comfortable on their wedding day. You’ve mentioned great ideas for those who wants to carry their wedding dresses on the airplane to click pictures On special outdoor places.
Thanks for sharing this!
We are happy that you found this valuable Michael!
Awesome tips Gillian! Really found this helpful, Me and my client going to Paris for after-wedding shoot in few days, I’m gonna share this article with my client also. Thank you!
Fantastic! I’m SO glad you found this information valuable…have fun in Paris 🙂
it’s really a good post. Love this post. It’s such a realistic look at what is involved with picking out your dress. I love to reiterate that just because you see it hanging on a rack or a mannequin and “YOU” think it doesn’t look right or won’t look good on you.
Good point David. Glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
Lovely Post great one.
Thanks SO much! We are happy to hear you found this valuable.
Wow! You have done a brilliant job by writing such a nice and very informative article for the couples who are just ready to be married and looking for guide. All tips you have written are very operative and useful for each and every couple .As a wedding and events planner I really liked this article very much.
SO glad that you enjoyed this article Audrey! I hope your clients will find it valuable as well 🙂
Love this article, Thank you for sharing this post
Yay!So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
[…] Will you travel on an airplane with your wedding dress? Here’s what you need to know! (Wedding Photography by Fun In The Sun Weddings) funinthesunweddin… […]
Cool! Thanks for sharing 🙂