How to Stay Calm and Problem Solve
You can never predict when something might happen but being prepared for the worst will allow you to come out on top even when the unthinkable can happen.
"What's the worst thing that can happen" If there is ever a time to be superstitious it's right after you say that. When so many moving parts come into play for a very small amount of time i.e. your wedding day, asking for disaster is frowned upon! Here are a few tips and tricks to prepare for even the smallest of things.
Maid of Honor Emergency Bag/Box
Put her in charge of this project or incorporate it as a gift. This is how I asked my sister who was my MOH - the box was cute so she could reuse it and I included everything I could think of that we might need the day of. She brought it with her so I didn't have to think about it! The small things in this box might save the day!
- Band-Aids
- Bottles of water
- Chalk (to cover up any last minute smudges or smears on your wedding dress)
- Clear nail polish
- Corsage pins
- Dental floss/or floss sticks
- Excedrin (for any headaches)
- Eye drops
- Extra earring backs
- Hair pins/bobby pins
- Hair spray
- Hand towelettes
- Hem tape
- Lint roll brush
- Lotion
- Make up remover
- Mini sewing kit
- Mini deodorant
- Mini toothbrush w/ toothpaste already included
- Mints
- Mirror
- Nail polish remover
- Pony tail holder
- Perfume (have her carry a bottle of the perfume you will be wearing all day)
- Q-Tips
- Safety pins
- Scotch tape
- Small folding scissors
- Spot remover
- Static-cling spray
- Straws (so the bride can stay hydrated without messing up her lipstick)
- Super glue
- Tampons
- Tums (help settle nerves!)
- Tissues
- Tweezers
Things I have honest to God used in an emergency when a bridesmaid or on my own wedding day.
Band-Aids - blisters galore when wearing heels and standing for most of the day. I had to use them in every wedding I was in and also on my own poor feet the day of my wedding! These are super handy too if you have a ripped hem and no hem tape. Use a band-aid to attach the hem back in place - you won't see it under the dress!
Excedrin- you under estimate how tired you will feel by the time the ceremony rolls around. This gives you a kick of caffeine without bogging you down like an energy drink or coffee.
Bobby pins- we had a hair emergency in one wedding I was in. When the bride was hugging people while ushering them out of church someone got stuck on her veil and ripped out her hair style! Full force action and a thousand bobby pins put it back in place. DO NOT leave these at home!
Mini Sewing Kit- last summer I was MOH of my best friends wedding. 3 of the 6 girls bridesmaid dresses eyelets not only pulled out of the dress but were MIA completely. This meant the zipper had nothing holding it up. You can imagine what happened next. We were all in the bathroom and I happened to have a sewing kit in my emergency bag. I had to sew the girls into their dress so it wouldn't come undone again. This can wreck the night if your bridesmaid has to leave because she's having a wardrobe malfunction.
Mini deodorant- you forget how much you are probably letting off on your wedding day. Between church and reception and even dinner I would suggest reapplying. No one wants to hug a stinky bride! I had to apply probably 4 times through out the night!
Static Cling Spray- for some reason all of our bridesmaids dresses were sticking to everything. It was winter and no humidity so they also picked up every loose hair or piece of lint on the floor. Having the spray on hand combined with a lint brush saved the night from having to constantly pull our dresses out of uncomfortable places!
Wedding Vendor is Late
Our caterer was 2 hours late for prep in the kitchens. TWO HOURS. With something like this.. put someone else in charge. Give them all the contact information a few days before and put them in touch with each other. My aunt and mother were in charge of the food and they didn't even tell me until after about the almost disaster. This saved me freaking out over something that was out of my hands. I would suggest doing this with every vendor you have. Put a family member you trust in charge of making sure they are where they are supposed to be!
Do your Research
Vendors who have a thousand positive reviews have them for a reason. Hiring Bob that your friend met once isn't the way to go. Hire people who are true tested and that have a back up system in case something goes wrong. The big important things like music, photographer, food, and flowers need to be reliable and known for their follow through.
A Vendor Forgot Something
Below is a picture that was captured at the exact moment I realized the hair flowers for my flower girls weren't delivered. Small insignificant detail to everyone else but it was something I had spent time and energy picking out that was going to be in their hair for photographs.
This is something every person will tell you. "Remember it's only one day. It's about your marriage. It's not going to matter after."
Yes, true. BUT you have spent countless hours hand picking details and thinking about every option down to the smallest element. So these small things are significant to YOU. Explain, "thank you, but this is important to me." That person will see that even though it's small that it matters.
In most cases if it's something small you can send a relative to go buy one quick. Here are things that are sometimes forgotten by vendors.
- Cake topper - send someone to buy at Target, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or any common home goods store
- Serve ware for cake or food- these can also be bought at any home goods store.
- Flowers- These should be delivered a few hours before. If there's a problem you can ask your florist to fix it or you can quick send someone to a craft store to get fake ones. People won't notice if they are fake I promise.
- DJ forgets song: My DJ didn't have my dad/daughter dance. He promised he would but here's a way to make sure there are no problems - have a iPod with all your wedding songs on a playlist. Every DJ is able to play from an iPod and a quick hook up and click play will eliminate awkward down time while searching for a song. This is an easy way to keep your nerves down.
- Wrong Menu- like above, have someone else check in with them a few hours before the wedding. This is a quick way to catch mistakes before they happen.
- Wrong number of desserts- These will also be set up before hand. You can always send someone to pick up a tray of cookies or treats. No one will know these weren't supposed to be there!
Drunk Wedding Party
This happens. No, this WILL happen. Have a non wedding party family member have a box of granola bars on hand to force feed to anyone who has had too much. Have that same person in charge of watching pre wedding drinking. No one likes a drunk groomsmen or bridesmaid while standing up in church.
Control it
Talk to the Best Man the night before and let him know that you have something for the guys so to not over do it before the ceremony. Make sure he is responsible for this.
I did a gift for the groomsmen and Groom to have before the ceremony. A quick nip if you will to kill the nerves. I picked out 2 mini bottles for each of them to have at whatever time they wanted before the ceremony. I had my personal attendant deliver them a few hours before the ceremony. It was a total hit! The guys were super excited about it and it relieved a lot of nerves. They were able to laugh and enjoy the moment without thinking about the ceremony!
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| My groomsmen digging into the mini bottles |
It controls how much they have and is a memorable and fun time for the guys.
Have a pitcher of mimosas for the girls too! My bridesmaids surprised me with them (juice with EXTRA pulp!) and it's a great and fun way to relax before walking down the aisle. A controlled amount is an acceptable amount!
Bad Weather
My wedding was in July and it was not only unseasonably cold (65 degrees...) but it was also raining! Roll with it. This is the one and only thing you will never have control over. Have someone use their phone for minute by minute updates on weather. If there's a break in the clouds, stop dancing or eating and run out for a few pictures! Your guests will understand and the party will go on without you there!
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| The actual storm on our wedding day! |
You can always send someone to buy umbrellas if a storm pops up out of no where. These can actually make for fun pictures!Above is the sky when we were scheduled to take pictures. The break behind it is when we snuck in some great photos! Thanks to our accommodating and talented photographer! Check out her page here!
A Bridesmaid/Groomsmen Passes Out
My sister and Maid of Honor went down in our ceremony. She got really hot out of no where and needed to sit down. Luckily, we were prepared for something like this. Leave a few bottles of water in the front pew of the church. If they have to sit down, they have something to wake them up and sip on. Also, leave a box of Kleenex if they are sweating from nerves or otherwise. Another good thing is to have a paper fan to cool them down. Usually it only lasts a minute and they can get back up for the rest of the ceremony. Go over with your bridesmaids and groomsmen what to do if it happens. Make sure the next person in line knows to fluff your dress or grab the rings from them if they are holding them! My Matron of Honor did a great job of taking my bouquet, grabbing the rings from my sister, and fluffing my dress when needed!
Things happen! The only thing you can do is be prepared!
Disaster can be avoided but never foreseen!
Stay Crafty!
Rina
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