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The bridal suite is a room where you prepare (both physically and mentally) to say I do in front of all your family and friends. It's where the bride gets to relax (as much as one can), get her hair and makeup done, and toast to the day's events with her bridal party before walking down the aisle. It’s the ultimate wedding pre-game event, filled with music, laughter, and maybe even a few happy tears.
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Before you prepare to walk down the aisle, you want to be sure to stock your bridal suite with everything you or your bridal party might need on the big day. To help you figure out all of the essential items you need to make your wedding day preparations a breeze, we spoke to wedding planner Tara Melvin.
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Tara Melvin is the owner of Perfect Planning Events in Washington D.C and has over 17 years of experience in event planning. She is the founder and President of The National Society of Black Wedding and Event Professionals, the first and only wedding/event association for Black professionals in the industry, and was named one of BizBash’s Top 500 Most Influential Event Professionals in 2020.
When scoping out your bridal suite, make sure to check that there’s sufficient lighting in the room. Melvin suggests opening all the blinds on the windows and turning on all lights in the room to get a sense of the natural light. “If that does not brighten the room, you can purchase a studio light stand or ask your photographer or makeup artist if they will have one on-site, ” she says.
A cloudy day or an early morning wedding can decrease the amount of natural light in a room, so it’s always recommended to check with the venue, your photographer, or makeup artist if they have additional lighting just in case.
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“A floor-length mirror will be essential and aid as your quality control checker as you are getting dressed, ” says Melvin. While most bridal suites at venues will have a floor-length mirror, if you’re planning on getting ready in a hotel room, you might want to ask the front desk or bring your own. You want to be able to get a good look at yourself in your bridal gown from front to back and head to toe before making your big debut.
Once you get to your bridal suite, your first order of business should be hanging your dress in an open area. Clear temporary hooks are real life-savers if the bridal suite doesn’t have a tall hook that allows your dress to hang freely without touching the floor. They’re easily removable, won’t damage the walls, and the clear hook is invisible in photos.
It’s going to be a long day leading up to the reception, so keep you and your wedding party fueled with an array of light and healthy food. Small sandwiches, a veggie spread, granola bars, and chips will ensure that everyone eats something before the ceremony. And of course, you can’t forget to drink plenty of water. “I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay hydrated on your wedding day, ” says Melvin. “Primarily drink lots of water or beverages that are light in color that will not stain; Gatorade, Pellegrino, LaCroix, Bubly, and if you must, white wine or clear sparkling champagne only.”
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You’ll want to wait until the very last minute before you walk down the aisle to put on your wedding dress if you want to avoid any stains, spills, or rips. It’s a good idea for you and your bridal party to get ready in dressing robes so you snack and get styled without worrying about staining your dresses.
Make sure to get a robe that ties or zips in the front. Anything you have to pull your head runs the risk of messing up your hair and makeup.
Skip the iron and go straight for the steamer, which will allow you to get any wrinkles or unwanted crinkles out of your wedding day attire without the risk of burn stains.
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Wedding planners have seen it all, from ripped pants on the groom to soda stains on the bride’s wedding dress seconds before she’s set to walk down the aisle. Be prepared for any and all wedding day disasters with a pre-packed emergency kit. Some things you should include are hair spray, hairpins, a sewing kit, safety pins, deodorant, straight-pins, first-aid essentials, breath mints, masking tape, double-sided tape, and a Tide pen.
If you don’t have a wedding planner or your venue does not provide a day-of coordinator to act as your advocate outside the room as you prepare for the ceremony in the bridal suite, designate someone who is not a member of the bridal party to be the manager of communications between the bridal suite and the venue. “Known as a Bridal Assistant or Lady-in-Waiting, this person will be your manager on wheels, from managing the time of events in the room to making sure your needs are taken care of prior to saying ‘I do, ’” says Melvin.
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Waterworks on wedding days are inevitable. Melvin recommends wiping your tears of joy with a lint-free tissue that won’t leave behind any debris. Keep some in the bridal suite and some in the emergency kit in case you shed a tear during or after the ceremony. If you tend to perspire when you’re nervous, keep some tissues stuffed in the top of your dress below your armpits while you’re putting on the final touches before the ceremony. Just remember to remove it before you leave the room!
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“Your adrenaline will be on a high, and your body temperature will be on overdrive, ” warns Melvin. “To keep calm and cool without disturbing everyone else, get a hand-fan you can carry with you as you get prepared for your wedding day.”Ladies, getting ready on a wedding day is a busy time, but should be fun! I’ve compiled a list of a 10 must-haves in your bridal suite, from a photographer‘s viewpoint. You might not think to bring some of these items, but I’ve seen it all!
You have enough to think of when it comes to getting yourself ready for the wedding ceremony and the reception. Please share this post with your besties so that you’re prepped for the big day, whether you’re a bridesmaid or the bride.
This might be self-explanatory, but it never hurts to list as a reminder! Most often, brides get dressed in their ‘bridal suite’ (i.e. hotel room or a home), so the dress will usually be there anyways. However, if the bride is getting dressed elsewhere, try to also have the dress in the bridal suite for photos of it before the bride slips into it. Often bridal suites will have much better lighting and backgrounds than say a church or similar venue. Sometimes you might not have much control over where the bride is getting dressed. But if you can, make sure to choose a spot with great natural/window light.
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Often times, the bridal shop sends the bride’s gorgeous dress on a lackluster, plastic hanger. Do yourself a favor and avoid the cringe of getting your photos back and noticing that hanger against a luxurious gown. Do the same for the bridesmaid dresses, if you’re going to have them photographed.
This includes invitation, rsvp card, envelope(s), details card, etc. Photographers usually love to photograph this with some of your other details like shoes or bouquet. It helps set the tone for and tell the story of your day! It’s likely you won’t keep the invitation suite for very long, after all paper isn’t forever. So it’s a wonderful idea to get a photograph of the invitation suite! You’ve spent time planning how it will all look, and it only takes a moment to pack an extra copy of this in your bridal suite bag.
The bride will need her shoes, veil, earrings, necklace, garter, undergarments, clutch/purse, and literally everything she’s going to put on as she gets dressed. Photographers will sometimes use some of the accessories (especially shoes + jewelry) in photos. It’s important to have it all in the bridal suite – not only to dress the bride, but for photos.
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Yes, even her perfume, lip color, mattifying powder, lotion, or any other cosmetics. Make sure it’s all gathered in case the bride needs a touchup — if she wants it, she gets it!
This means the groom’s wedding band too! There should be at least 3 rings gathered: the bride’s engagement ring, the bride’s wedding band, and the groom’s wedding band. Extra rings like heirlooms and additional wedding bands can also be gathered for a photo if they’re important. The more the merrier! Rings are often a big part of your wedding day story.
At the very least, make sure the bride’s bouquet is present in the suite, if at all possible. Even better if the bridesmaids’ bouquets are
