Here’s our list of the practical wedding day essentials you mightn’t have thought of! You’ve likely started your wedding day list already gathering ideas of things for your preparations on your wedding day. You absolutely need things like your emergency kit, vows, speech and license (seriously those are all very important!) What about the things that you may not have thought of, or no one has mentioned?

We know, the list can get pretty long but trust us when we say, you want to ensure you are organised and ready to overcome any little things that might crop up on the day. Even more so if you are away from home and don’t have access to all your usual stuff. Read on to learn about our practical wedding day essentials you mightn’t have thought of!

Food, food, food!

Snacks, water, drinks etc. Bring it all. A hungry wedding party, particularly a hungry bride or groom does not make for a happy one! You may not want a big meal, but things that you can snack on, that will keep you fueled are the way to go. This could be something you delegate to your Mum, friend, bridesmaid/groomsman/pay someone to organise. Don’t forget water so you are hydrated and any special drinks you want.

Photo credit: Mandy Caldwell Photography

Your Run Sheet

Whether you have this electronically or printed out, it’s such a good idea to have a copy to hand just in case. Sometimes things change at the last minute, or you need to let your MC know what is happening. You can always hand it off to someone else to ensure things are running to plan so you don’t have to worry!

A list of suppliers and contact details

There are a lot of details with planning a wedding, names can easily be forgotten, things can be overlooked. You might find your brain is a bit scrambled on the day of your wedding, so rather than leaving things to chance, have all your vendors and suppliers listed with their contact details. Should anyone need to contact them in a hurry, you (or you guessed it, your bridesmaid/groomsman) can easily provide the details.

Chargers, all the chargers!

Your phone could be used for so many things when you are preparing for your wedding. From music, speeches, not to mention texts, the odd social media browsing, you will want to bring your chargers. Make sure if you also bring chargers for laptops, speakers – anything you will be using that has a charger.

Photo credit: Anna Hart Photography

A change of shoes

You may’ve bought the most amazing pair of shoes for your wedding, you may’ve spent your nights walking around your house in them, breaking them in and ensuring they fit perfectly. But after a few hours walking around in those shoes, especially if it’s a warm day, your feet are swelling and sore! So do yourself a favour, have some comfy flat shoes to slip into so you aren’t hobbling around for the remainder of your wedding.

Make sure you are sorted for the weather

Here in good old NZ the weather can do all sorts of funny things – all in one day! So be prepared. Have plenty of sunblock available so you can all be protected from the sun, especially if you are having your ceremony during the hottest part of the day. No one wants to have sunburn during their reception later on! Bring along something to help ease sunburn in case you or one of your guests does get sunburnt.

Likewise, have an umbrella to hand just in case of a shower or two. If your wedding is in an area near water, you might want to pack some bug spray – maybe not quite the perfume you wanted but avoiding getting bitten is a big bonus!

Photo credit: Libby Ellmers Photography

Tools

Having a few tools with you can be a really good idea, especially if you are DIY’ing quite a lot. Basic tools like a hammer, screwdriver and some nails just in case will have you prepared for any little surprises. Again, hand that off to someone else, but having the tools to do the job makes things  a lot easier!

Medicines

While your wedding will be so much fun, and undoubtedly a beautiful day, it can also be a long day. Standing for periods of time, dancing, not drinking much water can all take a toll. Arm yourself with paracetamol and anti-inflammatories to ward off any headaches or other aches and pains that might hit you later on in the day. Having enough for guests can also be a great idea.

Stain remover

Accidents happen all too often! Toothpaste, make up, food and drink. Bring a long some fast-acting stain remover so you are prepared if something happens to stain your wedding dress, suits or bridesmaid dresses.

Hopefully our list of practical wedding essentials that you mightn’t have thought of has covered off some things that will have you reaching for your list and making notes!

We have seen plenty of things brought for wedding preparations, from card games (yes, some clients of ours were so relaxed and organised they had time to play cards) through to portable steamers to ensure dresses aren’t creased (this could be a good one to add to your list if you are travelling some distance from home). Being prepared and organised is the key and it will mean a much more relaxed day for you.

Take a browse through the rest of our blogs here or download our wedding information here.