I'd like to bring my dress as a carry on.  It's not a simple, destination wedding style.  I'd prefer not to pack it as it has bead work and I don't want it to arrive ruined.  Any ideas as to airline guidelines in regards to wedding gowns?

I'm not really sure but what about the possibility of sending it to your destination venue with insurance and confirmation?

I was thinking of asking the airline if you can hang it in their "closet." I've seen them do it for other things and I bet if you explain it's your wedding dress, they'd be happy to help out. Ask in advance though. I plan to. I will start crying and fall in the middle of the aisle if they say no and guilt them into doing it if all else fails. lol! : )

I am shipping mine overnight from Chicago to Colorado...my DOC and wedding venue coordinator hands down said ship it!  I have struggled with this for quite some time.  Mine is lace, beads the works, and my connecting plane from Denver to Aspen does not have closets....so if I had to put it in a garmet bag, it would have to go under plane...no way hosay!!! and buying it a one way ticket was discussed, but that just seemed very awkward to be carrying it all over....its a big bag!!!  so overnight it to a trusted contact!!!!! make sure its wrapped up in several plastic bags....yup, arrrgh!

The store I bought my dress at packed it for travel for me and the we just carried it on and it got hung in the closet. If you are doing a US DW I think shipping it is fine. However if you are going outside the US anywhere there is no way I would let it out of my sight.

I'm going to bring mine on the plane, but I have specifically requested for my coordinator to organise for a professional gown presser to be on hand should it arrive crinkled. One of my dresses is silk organza so shouldn't be too much of a problem, and the other is silk dupion so I'm a bit worried about that one.

Most airlines are very kind about allowing you to hang a dress in the 1st class closet (I've done it many times with bridesmaids dresses).

For our wedding, we flew Southwest and the plane didn't have a closet.  Instead I just put the garment bag with my dress inside it on top of the bags in the overhead bin.  It did get a little wrinkled.  Once we got to our destination, I hung my dress up in our bathroom with the shower running full-heat and the steam got out all the wrinkles within about 15 minutes.  Otherwise I would have paid to get it professional steamed at our destination.

Our airline allows your dress to be an additional carry-on (above and beyond your normal bag and purse) and doesn't charge you extra. However, there is NO closet, and so I either need to "gently roll it up and put it in an overhead compartment" (UM, NO!) or lay it out acress the seats. So, here's hoping that my guests are sitting near me and don't mind a lapfull of dress for 4 hours!

Nicky, what airline are you taking to jamaica?

I'm a flight attendant and we will absolutley put your gown in the first class closet! It's all in the way you ask. I'm bringing my on board with me in a garmet bag and asking for it to be hung in the closet. I also bought a small hand held. steamer from wal-mart that I'm shipping over in advance to press out any wrinkles