What do you put in your emergency kit?

Call them what you want: an emergency bag, an uh-oh kit, or that-word-that-rhymes-with-kit-but-we’re-a-family-friendly-blog kit. Whatever you call it, you know you’ll need one; a small bag with those things that you hope you won’t need on your big day, but you want to have on hand just in case. Every couple will need different things in their kit, but here are some suggestions to get you started:

First aid: Band-Aids, painkillers, bug spray, sunscreen. A small first-aid kit is a great idea, since it has a bunch of little things all in one place. If any part of your ceremony or reception is outside, you’ll want the bug spray or sunscreen.

Problem fixers: Scissors, a small sewing kit, super glue, double-stick fashion tape, safety pins, stain removers, duct tape. If a hem falls, a thread unravels or there’s potential for a wardrobe malfunction, most of these items will come in handy. And we’ve seen many a wedding be saved by a Tide-to-Go pen or Shout wipes (or any other brand name!). As for super glue or duct tape? They pretty much fix anything.

Toiletries: Extra make-up, chapstick, hair stuff, mints. If you’re wearing make-up, a touch-up kit is a great idea. If you expect your hair to look a certain way, bring extra bobby pins, hair ties, or hair spray. Mints and chapstick will help those nervous dry mouths!

Extras: Phone chargers, cash, copies of your vows. After a long day, your phone may need a pick-me-up, too. A little extra cash stashed away will help in a pinch, and definitely have extra copies of things like your vows and order of ceremony handy.

What else goes in your bag? What do you leave out? Share in the comments!

Celebrate Bridal Fashion Week!

There’s nothing we love more than pouring over the gorgeous dresses at the semi-annual New York Bridal Fashion week. The Spring 2015 collection – unveiled last weekend – is no exception. From the romantically traditional Carolina Herrera to the edgy style of Vera Wang, here are some of our favorites:

Carolina Herrera’s show fit all of our traditional dress needs. With plenty of lace and tulle, her work has a timeless quality.

Also sweetly romantic is one of our favorites from his days back at Project Runway: Austin Scarlett.

Monique Lhuiller wowed us again with pops of color inbetween traditional white gowns.

Jenny Packham began and ended her show with plus-size dresses, a great reminder that ladies of all sizes are seeking great fashion.

And Vera Wang? Well, she was the talk of the show, mostly by not having a runway show. Instead, she presented a moody, edgy video for brides to review.

Gifts for the people who are there for you – the wedding party!

As you’ve planned your wedding, there have been those people who stood by your side, helping along the way. They’ve dealt with dresses, tuxes, bachelor and bachelorette parties, wedding showers and the late-night emails asking for help for “one last thing” – the members of your wedding party. Those ladies and gentlemen who will be standing with the two of you while you celebrate your wedding deserve a “thank you” gift!

What to spend: Make sure honor attendant gifts are accounted for in your budget, and then stick to it. Whether you choose something small and meaningful, extravagant and breathtaking, or something in-between, make sure you’ve planned for it!

Give yourself time: Give yourself a deadline on getting wedding party gifts in your schedule. Particularly if you want things personalized, you need to give yourself time to shop and choose the best items.

What to get: This is where you can have fun. Do you have a specific theme for your wedding? Your gifts can reflect that theme as well. Perhaps you want to get something useful for each of your attendants. Or something fun they wouldn’t get for themselves. The best part? Your gifts don’t have to be the same for each person. As long as you’re staying in the same price range for everyone you can mix and match gifts to each member of your wedding party!

Making sense of the wedding registry

While it seems like so much fun – it’s making the ultimate wish list! – you’ll want to keep some things in mind as you create your wedding registry.

Timing is everything. Make sure you give your guests enough time to choose a gift, at least four months before your wedding. Six months is better, if possible!

Options, options, options. You’re giving suggestions to everyone, from your college roommate to your future spouse’s grandmother. You’ll want to be sure that there are plenty of options at many different price points. You also will want to register at more than one store; and at least one of those stores should have an online option for people who prefer to shop online.

Plan ahead. But at the same time you want to give your guests options, you don’t want to register for things you don’t need. Get a list together of what you’ll actually need to start your married life together before you head to the store, scanner in hand!

But don’t put it in print. It is still considered an etiquette “no-no” to put any wedding registry information on your invitations. If you have a wedding website, that’s a great place to put all those types of links. Otherwise, let the members of your wedding party or other family members spread the word where to find your registry.