Finally the day you have been eagerly awaiting has arrived- but are you REALLY prepared? You might be wearing the finest bridal attire, your makeup is definitely flawless; but what about expecting the unexpected-those little emergencies which invariably arise on such important occasions? There is every chance that the heel of your perfect shoe snaps, or your earring clasp breaks off during the celebrations. For such emergencies; every bride must carry what we call a bridal emergency kit (we also like to call it a bridal survival kit) on her D-day. I really wish I had been given this advice on my wedding day- because, believe it or not, every bride is sure to need one.
Most Indian weddings are held in a marriage hall, a resort, at a hotel, and, nowadays, even in exotic locales. Naturally you and your family must carry everything you need to this venue. Here we have compiled a list of items which every bride must carry; most of these are ignored, forgotten or not given due importance:
- Painkillers- I remember having a splitting headache on my wedding day. I got married in a typical Hindu ceremony with smoke, hymns and long hours. By the end of it, I had a migraine and my mom had to scramble to get me some Ibuprofens.
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- Safety Pins- Indian wedding dresses like lehengas and saris with long “palloos” definitely need to be hitched up so that you are comfortable. Your professional makeup artist/stylist will definitely carry safety pins, but it is essential that you keep these handy too, so you can quickly fix your attire(yourself) during the ceremony.
- Makeup items, extra Bindis etc-weddings are quite emotional, and no bride wants her mascara running (especially during the Vidaii ceremony). Make sure you carry the right shade of lipstick, blush, mascara etc so that you can do ‘quick touch ups’ every now and then. Bindis tend to fall off too, so keep extra ones handy.
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- Deodorant/perfume- If you are wearing fresh flowers (especially jasmines) then you probably won’t need these but tiny Deo-sticks can help keep your underarms dry.
- Eye-drops- Hindu wedding ceremonies have you sitting around the fire and a great deal of smoke. Do carry a tiny bottle of eye drops so your eyes do not appear red.
- Gums and mints/mouth-fresheners-No bride should have bad breath on her special day. These items can ensure that!
- Facial tissues- Everyone knows how necessary these are-you can dab sweat, wipe off extra makeup or even your sweaty/ clammy hands. (You can even use them to dispose off your chewing gum!)
- Talcum powder-This item comes in handy for dabbing off oil/food spills from your expensive bridal attire- helps you get stains off quickly, at a later stage.
- A few snack items- The bride and groom usually get to eat last (which is the norm in most Indian wedding ceremonies) so make sure you keep a bottle of water, a small snack (chocolate bars, cookies, apples etc) for a quick bite every now and then.
- Glue sticks/scissors, tape- There isn’t much you can do about a broken shoe heel (other than change your shoes) but glue sticks, tapes and scissors can come in handy when fixing small jewelry items. In many Indian weddings, the bride also has to display some of her art work (Rukhwat-in Maharashtrian weddings). So, craft items like these can be helpful in fixing stuff that might have been damaged during the commute from home to the venue.
These are just a few bridal emergency kit items. Additionally, one may carry hand sanitizes, sunscreen (for outdoor weddings), antacids, list of phone numbers of wedding vendors, moisturizers, nail paint remover, cotton balls etc. The Bridal Emergency Kit is sure to help every bride have a memorable day which is flawless and perfect in every way!