The 10 Most Important Items for the Bridal Emergency Bag on Your Wedding Day
Hi Everybody!
Today’s blog is for all the MoH’s out there who don’t have a wedding planner to count on for emergencies on the big day. If you’re the bride’s #1 girl for the day and she’s planned her own wedding, you have to be prepared for little emergencies that could pop up right before the bride is ready to head down the aisle. Some of the wedding magazines give you ridiculously huge, long lists of supplies. But there are really only a few things that you absolutely, positively must have handy in case you need them. In no particular order, the maid of honor should bring a small bag with the following items:
1) Shout wipes — they take most spills and stains off of anything. Don’t use them on a wedding gown unless you’ve tested in an area that doesn’t show first, but when the ringbearer pukes on the groomsman those Shout wipes are a blessing.
2) Liquid White-Out and Chalk — the two easiest ways to cover a stain on a wedding gown. Make sure you have the right color of each (white for a white gown or ivory for an ivory gown — yes, they do make ivory liquid paper). Obviously, chalk is your first choice to cover a mark on a dress because the drycleaner can get the chalk out later. But in a pinch, especially for a very visible or dark spot on the bodice of a gown, the liquid paper correction fluid will work. I know, it’ll kill you to do it and it pains me every time that I have — but you couldn’t see the mark on the dress afterwards or in any of the pictures.
3) Safety Pins — get a variety of sizes.
4) Band-aids — you wouldn’t believe how many of these we go through.
5) Steamer — there’s always one member of the wedding party who didn’t bother to prepare his or her wedding clothes until an hour before the wedding. Not all accommodations in the Caribbean have irons and ironing boards. A portable travel steamer can be a blessing in these situations. Also you can use the steamer on the bride’s wedding gown when you first arrive at the destination and unpack her. Don’t wait til the last minute to steam her wedding gown.
6) Double-Sticky Tape — it holds up hems, keeps boobs covered, and tacks down placecards at a windy reception venue. Best thing invented since sliced bread.
7) Advil/Tums/Immodium/Benadryl — you may even use some of each, depending on how many people are in the wedding party.
Hairspray and bobby pins — ‘Nuff said.
9) Bottled Water — always have some cold bottled water on hand for the bride and groom in the hours prior to the wedding. Keeping them hydrated (especially in the Caribbean) is half of the battle.
10) Travel-sized jewelry cleaner — it comes in a little red bottle that sort of looks like over-sized mascara. You wouldn’t believe how many brides don’t bother to clean their engagement rings before they leave home for their destination wedding weekends. As a general rule, her engagement ring (along with her new wedding band) will be photographed over and over and over again. Does she really want her ring to look dull because there’s cookie dough from baking two weeks ago stuck behind her diamond?
So if you’re the MoH, start pulling together those few items now because you’re sure to need a few of them on the big day. And then just use common sense. You wouldn’t be maid of honor if you didn’t know the bride best — is she a cryer? Toss in some kleenex and Visine. Prone to panic attacks? Pack her Xanax prescription. Whatever you really think you might need. Just don’t forget to take the bag when you go!
Until next time, happy wedding planning from Weddings in Vieques and Weddings in Culebra.
Sandy