Wedding Dress Transport

Id put it in a carry on. If not you can mail
It.

I’ve shipped my dress through UPS and Fedex. I’ve also flown with it as a carry on.

I would ship it versus carrying it onto a plane.

I would take it with you carry on - if you let the flight attendants know it’s your wedding dress they will likely put it in the first class closet for you!

Since you're flying soon anyway, I'd take it as a carry-on. Either way you're going to have to have it steamed/pressed once it's at the wedding destination, so it doesn't really matter if it's squished into a rolly bag that will fit in an overhead bin. If you're lucky, your flight won't be very full and there will be plenty of room for it. (We flew recently and took advantage of an offer 24 hours before the flight on American to upgrade to 1st class for $85, because the flight was so empty.) If for some reason that won't work, it should be fine to use FedEx or UPS -- just insure the heck out of it. My niece's dress had to be shipped from So Cal to Upstate NY, and although she and my sister were nervous the entire time, it arrived just fine. Good luck!

I would personally fly with it as a carry on. As MOB So Cal said, you'll have to have it steamed or pressed when you get there, so I'd try to squish it into a garment bag like the kind they put suits in, and then roll it up like it's a sleeping bag. Check in for your flight before you get to the airport or use a kiosk so no one has to check you in. Have someone else you're flying with drop off your checked bags if possible. If you must speak to anyone from the airline before security and they try to make you check the dress, tell them you think it'll fit under the seat, but if it doesn't you're willing to check it at the gate. You just want to make sure it stays with you because it's your wedding dress and it was your mother's, so it can't be replaced. You probably will be able to get onto the plane with it, but if you have to check it at the gate, at least you know it's 100% going to get on YOUR flight.


When you're going through the airport, just be the absolute most cheerful and calmest (or most calm-looking) version of yourself. Bonus points if you're dressed like you're going to a business meeting.
I've never flown with a wedding dress, but I have flown with all kinds of crazy stuff in my carry-on (ex. large paintings, an espresso machine).