The Bride’s Wedding Day Emergency Kit Essentials

WRITTEN BY: Alice Prendergast

SOURCE: Weddingwire.CA

As the maid of honour you’ll be tasked with many duties on the big day, one of the most important being bringing a wedding day emergency kit for the VIP guest. You’ll want to load up your bag with touch up supplies, backup items, wellness wonders, wardrobe savers and a few extra bits and bobs for good measure. If you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars, ask the other bridesmaids to donate to the wedding emergency kit fund and scour your own medicine cabinet for supplies. Remember, there’s no such thing as over packing – now’s the time to take a page from the boy scout manual and live by the motto “be prepared”.

Here’s everything you should include in the bride’s wedding day emergency kit.

Touch ups
There’s a good chance your bride will need to touch a few things up before heading to the altar. Maybe the air conditioner broke down, leaving her in desperate need of some blotting sheets? Perhaps she’s got a bad case of garlic breath and could use some mouthwash and a mint? These are the times the kit will come in handy.

  • Comb
  • Blotting papers
  • Brush
  • Deodorant
  • Eye drops
  • Face mist
  • Floss
  • Hair spray
  • Handkerchief
  • Hand cream
  • Lip balm
  • Lotion
  • Make up (the same items that were used to create the bride’s look)
  • Mini mirror
  • Mints
  • Mouthwash
  • Nail file
  • Nail polish
  • Perfume
  • Razor
  • Sunscreen
  • Q-Tips
  • Tampons
  • Tide To Go
  • Tissues
  • Toothbrush
  • Tweezers

Backups
You’ll want a few backup items in your artillery in case anything goes awry with the original. For example, if the bride’s elaborate updo start undoing those extra bobby pins and hair elastics will be real lifesavers.

  • Bobby pins
  • Earring backs
  • Extra contact lenses
  • Hair elastics

Wellness
Even if the bride wakes up on the morning of her wedding looking like the picture of health, you’ll want to be prepared. Have Advil, Benadryl and everything in between just in case things start to go downhill.

  • Advil
  • Allergy medication
  • Antacid
  • Bandaids
  • Blister treatment
  • Energy bar
  • Essential oils
  • First aid kit
  • Water bottle

Wardrobe
The bride should always look her best. To sidestep any devastating wardrobe malfunctions you’ll want to load up on supplies like static guard and safety pins.

  • Fashion tape
  • Flats
  • Lint roller
  • Mini sewing kit
  • Safety pins
  • Static guard
  • Tights

 

Wedding banquets are passe: Now, millennials want Instagram-worthy nuptials

Ms Jessica Goutama, who had her solemnisation at the Disneyland Hotel in Los Angeles, was brought to the ceremony in Cinderella’s carriage. PHOTO: AXIOO, WRITTEN BY: Anika Varma, SOURCE: The Straits Times

Social media-savvy millennials want weddings that are fun and Instagram-friendly

When marketing manager Monica Mah’s boyfriend of five years, Mr James Goh, proposed to her in January this year, she already had an Instagram hashtag figured out and ready to go: #GohingofftheMahket.

The punny one-liner, which incorporates their surnames, was used to announce her engagement on social media.

It will also be printed on her wedding invitation cards and guests are encouraged to tag photos taken during the banquet with it.

She wants her wedding, which is slated for next February, to be held outdoors with a garden party theme because the couple met at such an event.

On her wishlist is a pick-and-mix candy bar, live-stations for barbecued food, customised fruity cocktails and personalised umbrellas and shades for guests.

“Weddings are not just about having a boring 10-course dinner anymore,” says Ms Mah, 29. Her husband-to-be, 31, is a graphic designer.

 Because people live in a connected age, she adds that they “subconsciously consider how their wedding will look like in pictures”.

Social media’s constant documentation and its tendency to promote one-upmanship has birthed a new phenomenon: The Cool Millennial Wedding.

Quirky, photogenic and hashtagged, this new celebration is miles away from traditional cookie- cutter ceremonies held more to appease relatives than to reflect the couple’s personality.

What is in vogue now?

Custom everything.

Forget photo booths with jokey props. Think artisanal coffee booths, cigar bars and organic cotton-candy stands – all of which four-year-old wedding planning agency Our Fairytale Wedding has provided.

For a botanical-themed wedding, the company decorated the venue with fruit such as lemons and oranges instead of conventional flower arrangements.

The agency’s co-owner Olivia Low, 30, says: “Five to eight years ago, weddings were just a dinner or lunch. But now, couples are willing to spend between $10,000 and $100,000 on decor alone.”

Five-year-old wedding planning company Inside The Knot has also done its fair share of eclectic wedding styling.

For a ceremony with a campfire theme, the couple, who were both scouts in school, had a S’mores table, where guests could assemble the marshmallow, chocolate and Graham cracker treat and toast them over the campfire they had set up.

For wedding after-parties, clients have requested post-clubbing staples such as doughnut counters, prata stations and even ones serving chicken nuggets and chips.

Besides customised weddings, Inside The Knot’s founder Rubina Tiya, 34, also highlighted another wedding trend of having two ceremonies: a more intimate solemnisation for close friends and a larger banquet dinner for parents and extended family.

The intimate party, which is extensively photographed and shared on social media, is where wedding styling services are most in demand.

Her firm provides these services, which include coming up with thematic decor, stage design and bespoke signages.

Prices start at $1,500, but couples spend about $6,000 on average.

Nowadays, wedding bashes are not just about the experience, says consumer researcher Brendon Png, 32, who looks at how brands react to younger consumers.

“It is also about the optics.”

Optics, the term often used in politics to describe the perception of an event more than its substance, does not come cheap.

And this is on top of the general rising cost of weddings.

A study released last month by consumer research-focused site ValuePenguin.com showed that the average price of a banquet table at a weekend wedding is $1,536 this year.

This is up 49 per cent from $1,033 in 2011.

The survey was done across 47 banquet locations in Singapore.

The wedding price hike has outstripped personal income growth over the same period. The median income for Singaporeans, excluding CPF contribution, increased by only 22 per cent.

A Sunday Times check with 10 hotels and restaurants here confirms that prices have indeed risen, though hotels have also upgraded their facilities and packages.

At Capella Singapore in Sentosa, prices will be raised by $100 a table to between $1,688++ and $2,480++ next year, depending on the menu.

Ms Pricilla Chua, 50, the hotel’s senior director of catering and conference services, says this is the first price increase since 2014.

“We would rather do that than have hidden costs or charge unnecessary top-ups for small things,” she adds.

At the Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre, the wedding team says hikes of between $50 and $80 a table over the past two years reflected “increases in the market and to cover costs including food, decor, manpower and settings”.

On its end, it offers an on-trend decor package using mood lighting and chandeliers to create a dreamy, pixel-perfect dinner setting.

For the sake of Instagrammable, one-of-a-kind experiences, some young couples are willing to bite the bullet.

Take Ms Mah, who has set aside a budget of $50,000 for her garden-themed wedding, nearly a full year’s pay for her.

“Nowadays, everyone wants their guests to have fun and are willing to splurge on things that will make the event unique. For me, it’s money well spent.”

Public relations director Gidania Wong, 32, threw a Great Gatsby- themed bash at Capella Singapore for 300 guests in 2015.

She also had a smaller wedding ceremony in Bali for 40 close friends and family. She declines to reveal the total cost. Her husband Jamie Yap, 33, works in finance.

For her Singapore do, she had a cigar and vintage whisky bar and a mixologist who made cocktails.

The navy-and-gold colour scheme was brought to life with vintage gramophones, candelabra and flower centrepieces decorated with pearls and feathers.

The piece de resistance was a five-tier gold and ivory cake, designed with an art deco vibe.

She says: “As someone who plans events for a living, I enjoyed seeing the details come to life.”

IT engineer Sushila Chandra, 32, spent $150,000 on a three-day Hindu wedding in a Phuket resort last September, when she got married to her childhood sweetheart. He works in finance.

She added her own personal touches, such as a basket of flip- flops on the side of the dancefloor for guests who wanted more comfortable footwear. Each pair cost less than $1.50 from Chinese wholesale site Taobao.

Guests also got a welcome basket in their room that came with a booklet telling a fun story behind the couple’s favourite snacks and drinks.

These small, thoughtful details were a big hit with her friends and family.

“What I wanted was to throw a wedding that I would want to attend,” she says. “It sometimes costs a pretty penny but it’s worth it. After all, it happens only once in a lifetime right?”

How To Create A Wedding List

9 Simple rules to help you nail down your wedding guest list.

Source: Summit Entertainment

Hopefully you don’t have a family of vampires to invite.

There are a million little details to consider over the course of planning a wedding. Between the venue, the dress, the flowers, the wedding party, the music, and the location, planning the event can feel a little bit overwhelming. But when you add in the task of creating a guest list, it can seem downright impossible. If even the thought of making a wedding guest list makes you reach for the antacids, you need some advice from the experts.

1. Keep in mind your overall vision of the day

Source: Sweet Ice Cream Photography / unsplash

Unless you have a very, very clear vision of what you want your wedding day to look like, the guest list shouldn’t be one of the first things you do in terms of wedding planning. In order to make your guest list, you first need to be able to answer some preliminary questions. Janessa White, co-founder of Simply Eloped, told INSIDER that knowing if you want a big or small wedding, where you want to hold the wedding, and on what day, should be set before you start to make an actual serious list.

“If you want to do it on a Monday or a Tuesday, your rates are gonna be way lower for that venue, but most people are only going to come on a weekend if you’re inviting hundreds of people,” White said.

2. Consider your budget

Source: Sweet Ice Cream Photography / unsplash

Your budget influences pretty much every decision you’ll make regarding your wedding.

“Once you remove all other expenses, how much are you willing to pay per guest? Your venue will either have a general food and beverage minimum or a charge per person for food and beverage,” Chelsea Roy, founder at Everything But The Ring, said. “Take these numbers and add the service charge (generally between 18 and 25%) plus your local taxes. This is the amount you’re actually spending per person. Does it still fit your budget? If not, you will need to cut the list.”

It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that you won’t be able to invite everyone, but you have to feel comfortable with how much you’re spending on your wedding

3. Think about your target count

Source: Alex Gukalov/Shutterstock

If you have a general number of guests in mind, that can help you start to whittle down your list and start to figure out who should be included and who maybe can be left off the final tally.

“What I usually try to recommend is do you want to have a huge celebration or do you want to have something more personal? Because it’s hard to have both at the same time,” White said.

Make sure you clearly communicate to guests if they’re allowed a plus one, if you’re inviting the family, and other details, White advised. Keeping a target count in mind can also help you make some of those initial decisions like venue and food without having to have a completely finalized guest list ahead of time ormaking your venue choice and then altering your list.

 

4. Consider a backup list

Source: Pexels

Backup lists are somewhat controversial, but if you’re having a really difficult time figuring out who should be at your wedding and who shouldn’t, they can be a compromise.

Essentially, a backup list means that you’ve made two lists: one that encompasses the people that you absolutely feel have to be at your wedding and another list of people that you’d like there but would be OK without them being there.

“The earlier you send invites, the sooner you can have an idea of who may not be attending so that you can open up those spaces to others,” Roy said. “Having this list may also come in handy if you have a food and beverage minimum and as you receive RSVP’s and realize you won’t meet your minimum, you can add these people in so that the money doesn’t go out the door. Be mindful to invite these people as early as you’re able to make a decision — receiving a wedding invite less than several weeks before a wedding is obvious and may make for some hurt feelings and questions.”

But some planners, however, do not recommend that you make two lists. “I don’t believe in making two lists,” wedding planner Linda Payne said. “You know who you want to invite…invite them. If they aren’t on the ‘A’ list you didn’t really want to invite them in the first place.”

 

5. Write it out

Source: Unsplash/Tom The Photographer

On a computer, it can be difficult to tell exactly how long a list actually is — it can grow and grow before you even really realize what’s happening.

“Start your guest list on paper, then move it electronically,” Emore Campbell, owner of Emore Campbell Events, told INSIDER. “Writing instead of typing will help the couple realize exactly how many people are on their list, and may help slow down or halt the number of people they invite.”

 

6. Have a meeting

Source: Tom The Photographer/Unsplash

Everyone who is involved in making the guest list for your wedding needs to be on the same page. If you and your partner are the only ones who are going to be making decisions about who will be in attendance at your wedding, then the two of you are the only ones who need to be in agreement, but all too often, there are more people involved.

“Have a meeting with all parties who are involved with adding to your list: parents, grandparents, groom, and bride,” Karen Emery, owner of A Wedding For You, said. “Spell it out. You have room for only a certain number of people and each division can only invite a certain number of people. Always blame it on the venue. If you blame it on the budget, they will offer to pay for additional people.”

 

7. Kids or no kids?

Source: Mikael Kristenson/Unsplash

Although you may want to have kids at your wedding, you shouldn’t feel obligated to accommodate them if you’d rather they weren’t there.

“Feel free to have an adults-only wedding,” Jennifer Gay, owner of Blue Flamingo Weddings, said. “If you don’t want your ceremony interrupted by a crying baby or a whining little one, if you don’t want your dance floor overrun by children (and believe me, if they are there, they will dominate the dance floor), if you want your friends to be able to imbibe and socialize freely without having to censor themselves, by all means, make your wedding adults-only.”

If you know that there will be a lot of kids coming into town with their parents for your wedding, you might want to coordinate babysitters for the kids so that the parents don’t have to worry about finding one — or let that keep them from attending the wedding in the first place.

 

8. Stick to venue restrictions

Source: Matthew Essman / unsplash

Venue restrictions aren’t just a suggestion, so you should keep them in mind when determining your guest list.

“How many people will your space comfortably hold? Think about how you want to use the space,” Jessie Pinson, owner of Modern Vintage Events, said. “Will pushing your guest list to the max capacity of your venue allow for your sit down dinner or your 12-piece band and dance floor?”

Plus, no one wants to be stuck standing for most of all of your reception (if your venue will even allow that) because you invited more people than could comfortably fit in the room. Don’t invite way too many because then you don’t have much control over how many people actually attend. Stick to your venue’s guidelines.

 

9. Think about who’s paying

Source: olegparylyak/iStock

Whoever is paying for the wedding should have some influence over the guest list. If you and your partner are paying for it all, then you have total control over the list. If you’re getting some help, however, you need to make some compromises.

“The guest list can be a give and take, especially when parents are contributing heavily to the budget,” Pinson said. “Understandably they feel that their friends should be there to celebrate the day with them since they are footing the bill. When numbers are tight though, this can lead to hurt feelings and a lot of added stress. I recommend giving each set of parents a set number of guests that they can invite outside of the already planned for family members so they can have some of their important people present with them.”

Article source:  This is Insider