There are a million worries for a bride before her wedding, but few are as important as the dress. Destination brides have much more to worry about, as their dresses can face much bigger hazards like the TSA and baggage handlers. Follow this guide to make sure your dress arrives safely and you’re not walking down the aisle in a bathrobe.

Don’t Risk Checking Your Bag

Most brides don’t want to take their eyes off their dress for a second, much less hand it off to strangers while boarding the plane. Placing your dress in your suitcase or checking the garment bag by itself increases the risk that your dress won’t reach you in time. Airlines mishandle 21 million bags per year, do you really want your wedding dress to be one of them? You can buy a new swimsuit if your bags are lost, but it’s nearly impossible to find and alter a new dress between arrival and aisle.

Call the Airline Ahead of Time

A few days before your flight, call the airline and let them know you’re traveling with a wedding dress and will have a garment bag with you. In most cases, the flight attendants will know to expect you, and will place your dress in the coat closet. Airlines are used to traveling with unusual items, but the advance notice is appreciated.

The TSA Accepts Dresses

Unlike toenail clippers, wedding dresses are okay to travel with by TSA standards. You can either place the garment bag on the conveyer belt, send it through the x-ray machine, or have TSA representatives scan it manually. They should only do this if the bag won’t fit through the machine.

One thing to note: they will have to open the bag for a manual inspection, but will be wearing gloves to prevent smudges.

Ask the Resort or Cruise Line to Press Your Dress

It’s okay if your dress gets a little wrinkled during travel — no one looks good when they get off a plane! When you arrive at the at the destination, ask the staff if they have pressing services to steam your dress and freshen it up for the big day. Let them take care of it so you’re not doing laundry on vacation. If your destination doesn’t offer this service for your specific dress type, bring along a travel sized portable steamer – this can come a long way for your dress!

If you’re worried, consider taking out travel insurance on your dress so you can replace it without going broke.