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One of the most common questions I get from brides planning a destination wedding or elopement is: how do I fly with my wedding dress?

Your wedding dress might be the most expensive (and just plain biggest) piece of clothing you’ve ever purchased – so you definitely don’t just want to shove it in a suitcase. (And if you’re planning to bring a bouquet as well, that’s a whole other challenge!)

Fortunately, I’ve helped lots of couples plan weddings and elopements from across the country, and I’ll share all my advice and suggestions below about how to fly with your wedding attire.

The Best Way to Carry On a Wedding Dress

First things first: you should always plan to carry your wedding dress onto the plane, NOT pack it in a checked bag! Nothing would be worse than losing the checked bag with your wedding dress inside.

Some airlines will let you hang your wedding dress in the cabin closet during the flight (this is ideal!). But not all airlines allow this, and some smaller planes don’t have closet space. So you’ll want to be prepared to store your dress in the overhead bin, just in case.

Here are my tips for how to fly with your wedding dress as a carry on – how to plan ahead, and what to do on the day of your flight.

Preparing to Fly With Your Wedding Dress

Contact the airline beforehand and ask about their policies.

You’re not the first person to fly with a wedding dress, and some airlines have a special way they handle or store wedding dresses during the flight!

Prioritize boarding when you book your ticket.

If possible, book a premium economy or first class ticket, so you can board the plane earlier and guarantee overhead bin space for your wedding dress. If you are in one of the first groups to board, than you are guaranteed to have bin space. That’s one less thing to stress about when you’re traveling for your wedding or elopement!

What to Do on the Day of Your Flight

Pack your dress in a good garment bag.

Look for a high-quality, breathable cloth garment bag – plastic dry cleaning bags can trap moisture.

You can even find some garment bags that hold both a dress and a suit! Just make sure your garment bag folds up to fit the airline’s carry-on size requirements, in case it has to go in the overhead bin.

If your wedding dress is especially full or fluffy, you can also consider using a vacuum-seal bag to fit it into a regular carry-on suitcase. Then you can have your dress steamed (or bring a handheld steamer and do it yourself) when you arrive at your destination.

Here are some garment bags to check out for bringing your wedding dress as a carry on (check all measurements in according to your airline’s carry on guidelines before purchasing a bag):

Ask the flight attendant for help when you board.

Greet the flight attendant warmly, let them know you’re flying with a wedding dress, and ask about the best place to store it. They may be able to store your wedding dress in the cabin closet – and if not, they’ll know the best way to place it safely in an overhead bin.

How to Care for Your Dress After Landing

Even under the best circumstances, your wedding dress is likely to get a little crumpled during travel. But with a little advance preparation and some time spent steaming your dress after you arrive, it should look as good as new for your wedding day!

Preparing to Steam Your Wedding Dress

Make sure your wedding dress can be steamed.

Check with your dress’s designer, bridal boutique, or a dry cleaner or seamstress for tips on how to care for your wedding dress. Make sure the fabric of your wedding dress is safe to steam!

Check if you can borrow a steamer.

Call your hotel or other accommodations ahead of time to see if they have a steamer you can borrow. If not, you can bring your own in a checked bag!

Find a place to get your dress pressed.

An alternative to steaming your dress yourself (especially if it’s super wrinkled) is to find a seamstress, dry cleaner, or bridal boutique near your wedding or elopement destination that will professionally press your dress.

What to Do Once You Arrive

Hang up your wedding dress as soon as you land.

When you get to your hotel or other accommodations, remove your wedding dress from the garment bag. Hang your dress from a high place (so you can fully fluff out the skirt and train), and let it breathe until it’s time to put it on!

Steam your dress the night before your wedding.

Don’t leave wedding dress steaming to the last minute – it can take longer than you expect, especially if your dress has a lot of layers.

Make sure the steamer is filled with clean water, keep it at least a couple inches from the fabric, and move slowly over each section.

I recommend flying in to your wedding or elopement destination at least 48 hours in advance! That way you’ll have enough time to let your dress air out, pick up your marriage license (don’t forget this!), and have a little extra wiggle room in case of travel delays.

How to Fly With a Bouquet

If you’re planning a traditional wedding, you’ll usually hire a local florist to handle floral arrangements and bouquets. But for a destination elopement, it can sometimes make more sense to bring your bouquet with you!

But how do you bring your bouquet on an airplane? Well, that depends on what it’s made of!

Choosing a Bouquet For Your Destination Elopement

If you’re including florals in your destination wedding or elopement, there are two routes you can take: real florals or faux florals. Real florals don’t travel well (more on that below), so faux florals are your best choice if you want to bring your bouquet from home.

There are lots of different types of faux florals, from silk or latex flowers that are made to look realistic, to floral “alternatives” like paper or wood flowers.

Regardless of the type of faux florals you choose, you’ve got to figure out how to get them safely to your elopement destination!

How to Fly With a Faux Floral Bouquet

Can you fly with faux florals?

Yes. You can bring your bouquet as a personal item. If you are flying with both your dress and a bouquet – bring your dress in your carry on and your bouquet as your personal item (just made sure it’s safely packaged so you can slip it under the seat in front of you during take off).

How do you protect faux florals during travel?

Wrap your faux florals in bubble wrap to protect them, and pack them in a bag or box – something where they won’t get crushed. Then you can bring them on the plane as your personal item.

Alternatively, you can mail your faux florals to your wedding or elopement location beforehand. You’ll just need to call and check with your accommodations and ask if they will be willing to hold them for you, or mail them to a FedEx or UPS location that can hold them for you.

Like with your wedding dress, you’ll want to check with the manufacturer of your faux florals for any specific instructions on how to care for them.

Using Real Florals For a Destination Elopement

What if you prefer having real florals for your elopement?

In that case, I highly recommend using a florist who’s local to the place you’re getting married. I have a list of local florists for all the locations I serve that I’m happy to share!

A local florist will understand the climate, season, and any local restrictions on florals. And most importantly, your bouquet will be way fresher than if you try to bring real florals on a plane.

But can you fly with real florals?

The answer is: it depends, but I don’t recommend it.

TSA rules on flying with real florals can vary depending on your destination. And it’s super difficult to keep a real bouquet safe and preserved during air travel.

Flowers are pretty temperamental – temperature and pressure changes (plus the challenges of packing flowers) can damage your blooms and cause them to wilt.

You’re much better off using a local florist if you want real florals for your destination wedding or elopement!

Flying with your wedding attire doesn’t have to be stressful as long as you know what to expect and prepare in advance. If your destination wedding or elopement is coming up, think ahead and make a plan now for how to fly with your wedding dress (while you still have time to troubleshoot)!