UPDATE: What to bring to the wedding

As I learn new things, I'll keep updating this list. I'll bold the latest items, but I'm going to include everything from before so any followers don't have to go searching.

• Dress (really, as long as you remember this, everything else can be purchased in the town of the wedding or borrowed)
• Shoes (If bride is requiring maids to wear the same shoes, prior note is in effect)
• Reception shoes (i.e. flip flops)
• Jewelry (some brides will provide jewelry as a bridesmaid gift, but always have backup in case)
• Tissues (For the bride or you)
• Advil/ Tylenol/ Aleve (I shouldn't have to explain this one)
• Band-aids (important for blisters, random acts of clumsiness, and other accidents)
• Gift (acceptable to give it to the happy couple in advance too!)
• Makeup/ Hair tools (unless having these professionally done)
• Small pack of needle & thread (have white, ivory, and the color of the bridesmaid dress at the very least)
• Something blue that's small, in case the bride forgets (a small blue ribbon with a safety pin is always great to have)
• Gum/ mints for just before you head down the aisle
• Nail clippers (will help cut tags off of dresses, hang nails, broken nails, etc)
• Cotton balls/ q-tips
• Nail polish remover
• Hairspray
• Lotion
• Imodium/ Pepcid (Food poisoning, bridal nerves, rehearsal night indulgence, etc... learned this from a fellow bridesmaid)
• Small hand-sized fan (especially for summer weddings that have anything taking place outside... you know, the cheap ones that are sold at drug stores)

What To Bring To the Wedding- Updated

• Dress (really, as long as you remember this, everything else can be purchased in the town of the wedding or borrowed)
• Shoes (If bride is requiring maids to wear the same shoes, read prior note)
• Reception shoes (i.e. flip flops)
• Jewelry (some brides will provide jewelry as a bridesmaid gift, but always have backup in case)
• Tissues (For the bride or you)
• Advil/ Tylenol/ Aleve (I shouldn't have to explain this one)
• Band-aids (important for blisters, random acts of clumsiness, and other accidents)
• Gift (acceptable to give it to the happy couple in advance too!)
• Makeup/ Hair tools (unless having these professionally done)
• Small pack of needle & thread (have white, ivory, and the color of the bridesmaid dress at the very least)
• Something blue that's small, in case the bride forgets (a small blue ribbon with a safety pin is always great to have)
• Gum/ mints for just before you head down the aisle
• Nail clippers (will help cut tags off of dresses, hang nails, broken nails, etc)
• Cotton balls/ q-tips
• Nail polish remover
• Hairspray
• Lotion

What to wear...

Rehearsal/ Rehearsal Dinner:
Typically this is a dress-up occasion. Double-check with the bride, but more often than not, you'll want to look nice. I typically assume Sunday best. Occasionally, this is very casual- so again, double check with the bride.

Day of/ Pre-putting on the dress:
The one thing I always forget... a button up shirt. Or a shirt with a very large neckline. Easier for not messing up your hair or makeup.

Reception:
Check ahead with the bride, but almost all are willing to let bridesmaids change into other shoes (ie, flip flops) for the reception. I typically last as long as I can handle in the heels, then I change into the flip flops. The hardest part is getting the shoes into the reception without looking goofy!

Wedding Day Playlists

So, The Knot tells you that a Wedding Day playlist is fun for getting ready. And surprisingly enough, I agree with them. Sort of.
See, they've got some good songs on there. But if that's all that was playing while we were trying to get married... well... it wouldn't be pretty. There's only so much sappiness and complete cheese that you can deal with while getting ready. So here's a few of my suggestions (feel free to comment with other suggestions). I will be the first to admit that several of mine fall under the "cheesy" category. (These are in no particular order either):

1. Crazy in Love- Beyonce & Jay-Z
2. Love Me Do- The Beatles
3. I Want To Hold Your Hand- The Beatles
4. Wedding Dress- Matt Nathanson
5. Kiss the Girl- The Little Mermaid (Colbie Caillat's version is cute too!)
6. The Way You Look Tonight- well... anyone (though my latest favorite is Maroon 5)
7. Little Moments- Brad Paisley
8. All I Want is You- Barry Louis Polisar
9. Ever Ever After- Carrie Underwood
10. The Way I Am- Ingrid Michaelson
11. Everything- Michael Bublé
12. Marry Me- Train
13. Long Slow Beautiful Dance- Rascal Flatts
14. Marry You- Bruno Mars (or the Glee version)
15. I Do- Colbie Caillat
16. Any of Taylor Swift's happy songs... "Love Story," "Today Was a Fairy Tale"
17. Be sure to throw in some energetic songs (I have "Hey Ya" by Outkast and several from Glee) to get everyone excited and moving around
18. And if the bride's mom or dad will be in the room and everyone can handle these songs without crying? "Stealing Cinderella" by Chuck Wicks or "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood

Wedding Photographers

Time for me to brag about some wedding photographers. I haven't had a bad experience yet, but 2 particular experiences demand special mention.

I was in a wedding last summer when the bride's dress caught on a pew and ripped a nice line in the top layer of the dress. Of course, everyone heard the rip and the bride's subsequent gasp. After we exited the church, the photographer's wife/ assistant took a quick look at the rip, then ran out to her car to get a needle and thread and then quickly sewed up the rip for the bride. If that's not an example of a photographer saving the day, I don't know what is. (FYI, bridesmaids... new WEDDING DAY ITEM: keep a little hotel pack of needle and thread with you on the wedding day. Make sure you have thread that looks decent with your dress too!)

Then, I also have to brag about Mustard Seed Photography in Houston, TX. They were so so friendly and wonderful. Even though everything seemed to go wrong with pictures at the church, they managed to keep everyone calm and found other opportunities for us. During the reception, Kat got a picture of me eating, and when I joked with her about it, she promised to delete it (I only wish my family members would stop taking pictures of me & others eating now). I only wish I could remember all the other fantastic things they did for the wedding party, but I think all of the bridesmaids gave them hugs at the end of the reception. So if you know anyone getting married in the Houston area, tell them to give them a call.

What to Bring to the Wedding

Go ahead and realize that you're going to likely forget something. Once you accept that, you're fine!

Here's my current checklist for next weekend's wedding:

• Dress (really, as long as you remember this, everything else can be purchased in the town of the wedding or borrowed)
• Shoes (If bride is requiring maids to wear the same shoes, read prior note)
• Jewelry (some brides will provide jewelry as a bridesmaid gift, but always have backup in case)
• Tissues (For the bride or you)
• Advil/ Tylenol (I shouldn't have to explain this one)
• Band-aids (important for blisters, random acts of clumsiness, and other accidents)
• Gift (acceptable to give it to the happy couple in advance too!)
• Makeup/ Hair tools (unless having these professionally done)

Surely I'm forgetting something here.