A woman's handbag is her prized possession! We women can’t think of going even 1 km away from our house without our go-to bag. After all, we are women and we have to look beautiful every moment while being ready to deal with any unpleasant situations. And when it’s time to travel to your happily ever after, you would not want to look to others for even a safety pin (your bridesmaids make sure their friend's wedding goes off without a hitch though!). A well-packed wedding bag (loaded up with touch-up supplies, backup items, wellness wonders, wardrobe savers, and a few extra bits and bobs for good measure) guarantees a smooth stress-free wedding day! Yes, a large bag full of all the wedding-day essentials! There are so many types of weddings and so much stuff to consider when packing for one.
Once you’ve found the one bag to rule all your previous handbags, filling it with the things you might/will need on your most important day can help you feel just one step further along on your path to forever-together-with-soulmate land. With every day leading to your wedding day, you’ll start to notice the number of things that you’ve accumulated and need to bring with you to the wedding venue before or the day of the wedding. It’s no less than a juggling act remembering all the things you need to take care of before the big day. Make sure you are jotting them down on a paper (or in your iPhone) the moment it strikes your mind (Yes, one more to-do list!) as you absolutely cannot afford to forget to bring them with you on the wedding day. So before you take stock of your wedding day checklist hear us out. We have drafted the ultimate bridal packing list for you. Use this list to help you get the ball rolling and add, delete or edit it to make it your own. Start early and create a list of all the important items you want to bring so nothing is left behind.
The wedding invitation suite: One of the things that are so important to remember, but so easy to forget is your wedding invite that you would want your wedding photographer to capture for your wedding album must-have detail shots. Bring along with you anything you want to be photographed such as a wedding timeline/map, an addressed invitation envelope with stamps, a countdown sign, a special card, or a gift someone gave you… Remember every small detail plays words for your great love story. The more (words to add) the better (story)!
A dress emergency kit: Oops-a-daisy! No matter how perfectly your brand new crisp white tulle wedding dress was tailored or how immaculately your gently used second-hand bridal gown was altered and how many weeks you spend on deciding that perfect bridal lingerie, nothing in this world can guarantee that accidents won’t happen! Your emergency fix kit can turn the tide in your favor. Fill your bridal survival kit with sewing stuff including additional buttons or hooks and blotting sheets, safety pins, sticky tape, spare undies (because...don’t ask!), spanx, and whatever else you may need to deal with a wardrobe malfunction. Or simply buy a miniature sewing kit that comes with needles, mini scissors, extra buttons, and thread in basic colors. You probably won’t use this, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Favorite beauty products for quick touch-ups: Your wedding-day essentials kit isn't complete without emergency makeup (you know what looks best on you!). Think your go-to lipstick (the shade that you’ll be wearing that day), mascara, eyeliner, foundation, and face tissues. Getting teary-eyed on your big day is totally understandable, so keep some Q-tips and tissues on hand for a quick makeup fix. Do we need to mention that every makeup article should be waterproof, long-lasting, and smudge-free, winter wedding or summer wedding? You are gonna need them big time amidst tearful moments! Not only to stay photo-ready at all times but also beautiful for his eyes only from veil to nail. No matter how carefully you eat and drink or deal with tears of joy, kisses, and hugs, your professionally done bridal makeup can wear off on the big day. A quick tip: Use a straw (whenever possible) to sip your favorite juices and mocktails to keep your lipstick from wearing off and keep mints and mouthwash for fresh breath.
A small first-aid/medicine kit: Wedding jitters, to-and-fros, and new shoes can give way to blisters, upset stomachs, and headaches. Be sure to keep some band-aids, anti-blister balm, eye drops, antiseptic cream, and pain relievers on you, just in case. Even if you don’t think your cycle is starting, it’s better you keep one or two sanitary napkins or tampons (if not for yourself then maybe for your girls). With your wellness kit, you may also help anyone else in the bridal party to deal with their hangover from the rehearsal dinner the night before. Advil or Tylenol pocket pack could be a possible solution. You may also keep some blotting papers and baby powder to steer clear of chafing between your legs and under your arms in this kit or makeup kit.
Backup tidbits: You’ll want to add some backup items to your wedding-day survival case in case anything goes crooked with the original. For instance, if your intricate updo starts undoing those extra bobby pins and hair elastics will be real lifesavers. Bobby pins, earring locks, extra contact lenses, hair ties, hairbrush, earbuds, cotton wools, stain remover pen (as spills are bound to happen), superglue (to keep your hand-beaded designer wedding dress and wedding shoes intact), portable clothing steamer, tweezers, etc. are some of the items that you might need to look a perfect bride every moment on your day. DO NOT FORGET to keep hand sanitizer and extra bridal face masks in your bag. Post covid, these two items have become the super essential ones. Your venue is sure to provide them for you and your loved ones but why take risks when you can have all these items at the ready.
Shoes & comfy flip-flops: Your wedding shoes may be gorgeous, but they may give up accompanying you from dawn till dusk. If you’ve picked sky-high heels or uncomfortable kicks for your wedding dress you’ll want to pack a pair of backup shoes for your reception. Remember, you can’t bust a move on the dance floor if you’re fighting off blisters! Because dancing is hard work on your feet! And you wouldn’t want to dance barefoot on the dance floor at the end of the night like so many of your wedding guests! Save yourself the pain by stashing a pair of ballet flats and swapping your heels out when it’s time to cut some rug. Buy a cute pair for your getting-ready photo sessions. These cute little numbers have just the perfect amount of glitz, and their low profile makes them easy to store in your bridal bag.
Favorite perfume or deodorant & essential oils: Guys say, “we women naturally smell nice sans perfumes!” However, that is not the case (thanks to the scented shampoos, conditioners, creams, lotions, lip balms!). Fragrance changes the mood! To keep yourself and others around you cool amidst the wedding chaos, just pssssss pssssss... your favorite perfume. Plus, your sweetheart can also feel you around with your smell. So keep the good scent going girl! Another underrated way to seriously improve your life while away from home, essential oils can help lift your spirits, chill you out, or freshen you up after a night of drinking. My essential oils were a huge hit with the entire bridal party at a friend’s wedding, who used lavender to calm their nerves before the ceremony.
Tech galore: You can do without your pre-ceremony snacks but can’t without your phone charger on the wedding day. Do we need to tell why?! If you’re a social media queen or live streaming parts of your day, you’ll want to be tweeting, facetime-ing, snap chatting, and Insta-storying your celebration (we are not blaming you!), but you can’t do that when your phone’s battery is draining. And how can we do away with those millions of selfies with the besties every now and then! Plus you might get to use your battery-eater phone torch. A battery dead phone is the last thing you would want on your most special day. You’ll want to have at least one regular phone charger (wall adapter) and one portable charger (power bank) on you so that your devices are up and running from morning to night to the next morning. Remember, you have a long day ahead of you so it's important that your phone and everything else is fully charged. You may also consider keeping an extension cord/surge protector because there are never enough outlets for your girls’ phone chargers, curling irons, and your tiny yet powerful Bluetooth speaker (of course, you are carrying one to play an awesome getting-ready soundtrack!).
Ceremony requisites: If it’s your legal ceremony, remember to keep a copy of your marriage vows, marriage license, photo ID, and any paperwork needed for tying the knot. You would also want to keep ceremony programs, any DIY items (signage, aisle markers, arch, etc.), reception details like cake topper & cake knife, table numbers, seating chart, day-of wedding stationery (escort cards/display, menu, etc.), guestbook & good quality pens/markers, card box, guest favors, wedding gifts, gifts for your parents and your bridal party including ushers, flower girls, and ring bearers, plus love letters to exchange with each other the morning of the wedding. Too much for your little bag? Don’t worry, we are just reminding you of these items, you may always pack all these supplies and keep them anywhere you want. We don’t want you to fit the entire universe in your wedding bag as Mary Poppins thinks (haha!).
Wardrobe necessities & bling: Of course, you will not forget to keep the bag packed up with freshly steamed glam designer wedding dress and heels! But being a bride you should always look your best on the big day not only during but also before and after the ceremony and other wedding-related events. And for that, you don’t need to bend over backwards. Just keep a lovely getting-ready robe paired with a comfy yet cute pair of slippers along with an extra shirt or blouse, matching undergarments. Other items that you would never ever want to forget to carry with you that day are a veil (if you’re using one!), earrings, necklace, bracelet, rings, hair accessories, garter, and clutch to add a little glitz to your attire. Be sure not to forget your engagement ring (in case you had it cleaned and have it staying shiny in its box) and wedding bands too. And most importantly, to duck any catastrophic wardrobe malfunctions you’ll want to load up on supplies like static guard and safety pins along with fashion tape, and a lint roller.
Photo props: Your venue may provide foolproof wedding entertainment options like photo booths for your guests. But you may want to carry some with you to make your couple photo sessions and wedding party photoshoot interesting and fun-filled. Sunglasses and hats (also to protect your eyes and head when it gets too hot during photoshoot), scarf, parasol, smoke bombs, lights, floral, wreath, ‘that-book’ (maybe your love story started with a book).
Being a bride is a stroke of luck, that comes with thousands of responsibilities, stress, and jitters. But despite all these but-natural intruders, you meet the happiest-you on your wedding day. After all, this is the day you have been waiting for all your life. And you would not want to let the bridal mishaps interrupt your happiest day, just like that. Even if you have the perfect bridesmaids by your side and a dozen people planning things for you; you can still stumble upon a tragedy. Whether it's a broken hook of your jewelry or a hair popping out of your chin, a headache, or an unexpected shark week, the only thing you need at your rescue is an emergency bridal kit with even the minutest of essentials. Your big day deserves no snaps and a bride, as fresh as a daisy! Call your dotting babes and allow them to help you pack this handy blessing in disguise for you and have a wedding without regrets.
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