Essential Wedding Accessories for the Big Day

As the big day approaches, you will most likely find yourself feeling more frazzled than you were at the beginning of the wedding planning process. As excitement, nerves, and anticipation begin to mount you will probably find yourself daydreaming more about that special moment at the alter, than planning the last details of your reception or mentally writing your letterpress thank you notes. Help banish last-minute panic and chaos by putting some thought into all those essential accessories you will need on your big day. By creating a checklist ahead of time of all the necessary items you will need on your wedding day, and setting these items aside, you will ensure that the morning of your big day you will be free to enjoy the company of family and friends, instead of spending precious time looking for your veil.

Before you hit the hay the night before your wedding day, make sure you’ve assembled these crucial accessories:

Your Shoes, Jewelry and Veil

While these items may seem like the last accessories you would forget to bring with you on your wedding day, you would be surprised to learn how many weddings have been delayed while the mother of the bride ran home to grab the bride’s shoes. As the big day approaches, you may be trying on your altered dress to see how it looks with your shoes, veil and jewelry; or you may be wearing your heels around the house to try and break them in. Whatever the reason, your accessories are often anywhere but their boxes the last couple days before the wedding. Make sure you look out all the accessories needed for your big day the night before; including, your shoes, veil, jewelry, hairpieces, gloves, garter, etc. Make sure these items are properly stored in containers that will keep them clean and safe during transit and easy to access once you get to your venue.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue (or any other good luck charms)

Whether or not you are superstitious, many brides enjoy incorporating a little tradition into their big days. You may choose to follow the traditional “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” custom, or you may have your own tradition that involves a family artifact, or other meaningful relic. Whatever the custom, make sure you look out these important keepsakes beforehand, and pack them alongside your other accessories. Even the most cool and collected bride can suffer from wedding day jitters. Bringing along with you a good luck charm, or comfort item can help keep you calm as you wait for the ceremony to start. Some religious brides choose to bring a bible with them to read an important passage right before the big moment, while others opt to bring their iPods and play all their favorite songs while they do their hair and makeup. Put some thought into what items you would like to have with you while you prepare to get married and make sure they are ready to go out the door at the last minute.

Gifts for the Day Of

While the bride and groom are usually the ones who receive the gifts on their wedding day, it’s nice for the couple to thank those closest to them who helped prepare for the wedding. Customarily, brides may give their grooms, attendants and maids of honor a small gift before they head down the aisle. While this is not required in most traditional weddings, this is a great a opportunity to share a special moment with those who mean the most to you on your big day. If you plan to hand out gifts on your wedding day, be sure they are wrapped and ready to go before the morning of your wedding.

Disposable Camera

While the majority of brides will have a professional photographer handy on their wedding day, it’s also a good idea to bring a disposable camera for your own use. With so many people involved in a wedding the photographer will follow a tight schedule, and many times may be preoccupied taking photos of different members of the wedding party, or setting up for pictures to be taken later in the day. Make sure you don’t miss a single special moment and have a disposable camera on hand to catch those intimate moments you share while the photographer is away.

Personal Helper

This is not an official title you will find in any wedding preparation guide, but it is important nonetheless. Make sure before the big day arrives that you designate someone as your right-hand-(wo)man to assist you on the big day. Many brides will find their cellphones ringing off the hook the morning of their wedding, with calls from guests who are lost and need directions, a makeup artist who is running late, or the limo driver who is parked in a tow zone. Most likely you will be busy getting yourself ready for the ceremony and will not have time to take all these calls, and provide everyone with last minute instructions. Be sure you have someone to assist you with these tasks so you do not find yourself without a photographer, limo driver, or mother-of-the-groom minutes before the ceremony is set to start.

Emergency Kit

According to Murphy’s Law, “If it can go wrong, it will go wrong.” Hopefully, your big day will go off without a hitch, but it never hurts to be prepared for an emergency just in case. Put together an emergency kit to take with you on the big day. This may include essential items, such as:

• Breath mints
• Bobby pins
• Needle and thread
• Lipstick
• Concealer
• Asprin
• Band-aids
• Safety pins
• Static-cling spray
• Lint roller

The list is endless. Think about what types of emergency items you may need, whether it’s extra tissues for particularly weepy bridesmaids, or stain-remover for the clumsy mother-in-law. It never hurts to be over-prepared, so put together a list ahead of time and pack these items together in your emergency kit.

There is no doubt that your big day will involve some chaos, but with plenty of preparation and a little creative thinking you can eliminate plenty of unnecessary stress from your preparation. Gather up all the necessary items for your big day ahead of time, and you’re sure to have most everything you need handy before you walk down the aisle.